For thousands of Ghanaian miners, the dream of a secure, well-paying job in the country’s lucrative gold industry is slipping away. The Ghana Mineworkers’ Union (GMWU) says that while mining companies enjoy record profits, most workers are now trapped in temporary, casual, or contract roles that offer little protection or certainty.
Speaking at the Union’s first-half National Executive Council meeting at the Gold Fields Akoon Clubhouse in Tarkwa, Deputy General Secretary Jerry Andoh said the shift is staggering. “As at the end of 2024 over 90% of the workforce in the mining sector is currently engaged in non-standard forms of employment with standard employment sitting just at about 10%,” he revealed.
Andoh explained that the rise of these insecure jobs is linked to policy reforms framed under the name of local content, combined with the fragmentation of mining operations. “This trend has created lower levels of employment protection, high degrees of uncertainty and higher risks in respect of workplace accidents or injuries,” he said.
In other words, while companies outsource key parts of their operations to smaller local businesses, workers are left exposed. Many face delays in wages, missing pension contributions, fluctuating income, and limited social protections, even as gold prices soar and profits pour into company coffers.
“Unfortunately, under the guise of local content, these exploitative strategies continues to be pursued with impunity,” Andoh noted, warning that such practices undermine worker welfare and threaten the long-term stability of Ghana’s mining industry.
The Union also urged the government, regulators, local chiefs, and communities to step in. “Permanent employment must be protected, and the wellbeing of those who power the mining industry must be prioritized,” Andoh stressed.
Policies meant to support local businesses and boost Ghanaian participation in mining must also ensure fair, secure, and decent work for the men and women whose sweat powers the industry. Without urgent action, the gold boom risks bypassing the very people who help make it possible.
