By: African mining market

Ghana’s mineworkers have launched a sharp critique against mining firms outsourcing core operational tasks, calling the practice a threat to job security, safety standards, and industry stability.

At a high-level meeting in Tarkwa, Ghana Mineworkers’ Union (GMWU) General Secretary Abdul-Moomin Gbana accused companies of exploiting local content policies to replace permanent roles with precarious contract labor.

“Outsourcing ancillary tasks is acceptable, but farming out the heart of mining – drilling, blasting, processing, under the guise of local participation? That erodes protections and breeds instability,” Gbana declared. He detailed how multinationals award core contracts to local firms at “cut-throat” rates, leaving contractors unable to pay fair wages or meet safety obligations. Workers face “high uncertainty and higher risks,” he warned, urging an immediate end to profit-driven outsourcing.

The union highlighted a painful irony: while gold prices surge past US$3,000 per ounce, mineworkers see little improvement in pay or conditions. “Companies invest in infrastructure but neglect the people powering their windfall,” Gbana stated, demanding equitable profit-sharing.

With local contractors strained by Ghana’s high credit costs and mining’s capital intensity, the GMWU pressed the Mahama government to enforce fair contracting policies. “Regulators must ensure sustainability, not just compliance,” Gbana emphasized, noting lax oversight enables exploitative practices.

The union vows to intensify engagement with mines, regulators, and ministries to reclaim decent jobs. As Ghana positions mining as an economic pillar, the confrontation exposes a rift between corporate efficiency drives and worker welfare, one that could define the sector’s future.