The government has assured mineworkers that no employee should suffer a reduction in wages, benefits or conditions of service as mining companies transition from owner mining to contract mining.
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources says workers employed by mining contractors must receive salaries, wages, allowances, benefits and other incentives equivalent to those enjoyed by owner mining workers performing comparable work before the transition.
The assurance forms part of additional policy measures announced by the Ministry to guide the implementation of Ghana’s contract mining policy and address concerns about its potential impact on workers.
In a statement signed by the Ministry’s Director of Communications, Zambaga Rufai Saminu, the government said it had taken account of concerns raised by the Ghana Mineworkers Union, human resource experts and other stakeholders over the possible effects of the transition on workers’ remuneration and welfare.
The Ministry and the Minerals Commission have been holding consultations with the Union’s leadership, industry experts and other relevant stakeholders.
According to the statement, the engagements clarified the regulatory and policy basis of the directive and reaffirmed the government’s position that workers must not be made worse off under the new arrangements.
Minerals Commission tasked to protect workers’ conditions
To enforce the safeguards, the government has directed the Minerals Commission to ensure that no worker engaged, or to be engaged, by a mining contractor or similar service provider suffers any deterioration or reduction in wages, emoluments, entitlements, benefits or conditions of service because of the transition.
The Commission has also been instructed to take steps to harmonise salaries, wages and conditions of service across the mining industry value chain.
Another measure requires eligible contractors to be categorised according to their capacity to provide mining-related services.
The Ministry said the measures supplemented existing regulatory requirements and did not preclude further lawful action by the Minerals Commission to advance the objectives of the Minerals and Mining (Local Content and Local Participation) Regulations, 2020 (LI 2431).
The Commission is expected to complete the processes required to implement the measures and submit the necessary documents for approval by November 30, 2026.
Ghanaian companies to lead contract mining
The government also reaffirmed the local content requirements governing contract mining in Ghana.
Under the policy, indigenous Ghanaian companies are to undertake contract mining for surface mining operations. Underground contract mining must be undertaken through partnerships in which Ghanaian-owned companies hold at least a 50 per cent interest.
The requirement was incorporated into the sixth edition of the Local Procurement List, which took effect on January 1, 2025, pursuant to LI 2431.
The Ministry said most multinational mining companies operating in Ghana had successfully transitioned their operations to comply with the requirement.
It described the experience as evidence that the local content requirement was practicable and enjoyed broad industry support.
However, it acknowledged that the transition had raised concerns about the possible implications for workers’ pay and conditions of service, prompting further consultations and the introduction of additional safeguards.
Government warns against labour abuses
The Ministry said the government would not tolerate practices that undermine local content objectives or disadvantage Ghanaian workers.
It specifically warned against unfair labour practices, cartelisation, bid rigging, fronting and other conduct that could undermine genuine Ghanaian participation in the mining industry.
Under President John Dramani Mahama’s Reset Agenda, the government said it remained committed to fairness, transparency, genuine Ghanaian participation and the protection of workers across the mining industry value chain.
The Ministry said the additional measures were intended to ensure that the implementation of the contract mining policy promoted local participation while safeguarding the rights, remuneration and welfare of mineworkers.