By: Kekeli K. Blamey
The Ghana Mineworkers Union (GMWU) has expressed concerns over the significant decline in decent work in the mining sector and the broader Ghanaian economy over the past decade. According to Abdul-Moomin Gbana, the GMWU General Secretary, this decline is largely due to a shift away from standard or permanent employment to non-standard forms of employment, such as temporary work, casualization, and fixed-term contract work.
As a result, workers now face lower levels of employment protection, higher degrees of uncertainty, and increased risks of workplace accidents or injuries.
The GMWU has been campaigning for the government to review the current Labour Act 2003 (Act 651) to address these challenges and make it more responsive to the changing needs of workers and employers.
The union therefore called on the President to pass the New Labour Bill into law before he leaves office on January 7, next year. The GMWU also emphasized the need to address corruption, which is estimated to cost African states 25 percent of their GDP annually, equivalent to US$148 billion. Mr. Gbana noted that a firmer hold on corruption would lead to a fairer and more just society for all, including trade unions and their members.
