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Mining
companies asked to provide alternative livelihood training
Accra, April 13, GNA - The Ghana Mines Workers Union (GMWU)
is in touch with the Ghana Chamber of Mines to compel mining
companies to provide their employees with alternative
employable skills which they could use elsewhere when mining
ceases.
Mr Isaac Gyimah, Deputy General Secretary of GMWU, told the
GNA in an interview that it was important to ensure that
miners were not handicapped in future when mining ends.
He said GMWU would also hold a skills conference to evolve a
skills audit programme to ascertain which skills could be
obtained locally.
Mr Gyimah said the union had proposed that part of mining
receipts could be used in developing infrastructure in
mining communities.
He said another area is the creation of a Fund to be
sustained by royalties paid by companies and added “what we
are thinking is that it should be possible to increase the
present royalties being paid by the companies.”
“If this is done we should agree which percentage should go
to the fund instead of the district assemblies.”
Mr Gyimah said the Fund should be managed by a board that
should ensure that funds are used for the development of
mining communities.
He said the union has also identified fish farming as a
potential area for bolstering economies of the communities
and the union is to team up with the Chamber to get mining
companies use open pits created by mining for that purpose.
Mr Gyimah said mining companies should reclaim land by going
into oil palm plantation.
GNA |
