Gov’t directs Minerals Commission to protect mineworkers’ wages under contract mining policy

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has announced three additional safeguards to protect workers’ wages, benefits and conditions of service as mining companies transition from owner mining to contract mining. The measures require the Minerals Commission to prevent deterioration in workers’ employment conditions, harmonise remuneration across the mining industry value chain and categorise eligible mining contractors according to their capacity to provide mining-related services. In a statement signed by the Ministry’s Director of Communications, Zambaga Rufai Saminu, the government said the measures were intended to guide the effective implementation of Ghana’s contract mining policy while safeguarding workers’ rights and welfare.

The Minerals Commission has been directed to complete the processes required to implement the measures and submit the necessary documents for approval by November 30, 2026. Three new safeguards The Ministry outlined the following measures: Protection of wages, benefits and conditions of service The Minerals Commission must 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 from owner mining to contract mining. The government has also affirmed that workers employed under contract mining arrangements should enjoy salaries, wages, allowances, benefits and other incentives equivalent to those applicable to owner mining workers performing comparable work before the transition.

Harmonisation of salaries and conditions of service The Commission is required to take the necessary steps to harmonise salaries, wages and conditions of service across the mining industry value chain. The measure is intended to address concerns raised by the Ghana Mineworkers Union, human resource experts and other stakeholders about the potential impact of the transition on workers’ remuneration and welfare. Categorisation of eligible mining contractors Eligible contractors must be categorised according to their capacity to provide mining-related services.

The Ministry said the new measures supplement existing regulatory requirements and do not prevent the Minerals Commission from taking further lawful action to advance the objectives of the Minerals and Mining (Local Conte… 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. 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.