The Ghana Mineworkers’ Union (GMWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has demanded the immediate suspension of the Minerals Commission’s directive requiring major mining companies to transition from owner-mining to contract mining, warning that failure to address its concerns could trigger industrial action across the sector.

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In a petition dated August 20, 2026, the union accused the government of allowing local content policies to fuel precarious employment and labour exploitation in the mining industry.

The GMWU claims more than 95% of workers in the sector are now engaged in precarious employment arrangements, including fixed-term, casual, and contract work.

Speaking after presenting the petition to the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, GMWU General Secretary Abdul-Moomin Gbana said the union was “totally opposed” to the directive, arguing that it undermines the original objectives of Ghana’s local content regulations.

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“This is not what we intended for local content regulation. This is a complete reversal of what the intentions were,” he said.

Mr Gbana warned that the union would begin a campaign of protest from September 1, including the wearing of red armbands by mineworkers.

“Beginning 1 September, we will put on red armbands and show our revolt to the government about what is happening. It is about bread and butter, and we can’t sit aloof,” he said.

According to the GMWU, more than 90% of workers in the mining sector were engaged in fixed-term and casual employment as of the end of 2024, while permanent employment accounted for less than 10%.

The union says the situation has deteriorated further in 2026, with more than 95% of the workforce now in precarious employment.

It attributes the trend partly to the Minerals and Mining (Local Content and Local Participation) Regulations, 2020 (L.I. 2431), which it argues has contributed to the fragmentation of mining operations and the increasing use of contract mining.

📰 Source: Joy Online Ghana