We are more than happy ? Obuasi miners

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Adansi/Amansie chiefs were present at the confab
chiefs

By:?Jack Adom, Obuasi

A straw poll conducted on Wednesday morning in Obuasi shows that overwhelming majority of current and ex- employees of Obuasi mine and their dependents have not only welcomed management?s decision to restructure the operation root and branch but have also commended the company for the retrenchment package been paid to the workers , which they described as ??one of the most generous in the country?.

 

Adansi/Amansie chiefs were present at the confab
Adansi/Amansie chiefs were present at the confab

Fifty employees and 25 dependents polled this morning described the offer as ?irresistible?, but they want management to work hard to fix Obuasi so that in the near future, ?the young employees, who would be losing their jobs ?could get back their jobs. ?They are laughing all the way to ?the bank as the company is reported to be paying more than US$225 million to the workers.

 

?Though we are losing jobs now, ?the redandacy package is irresistible, but looking at the quantum of money ?been paid to us we have no option but to accept the offer?, a ?59 -year old driver who have worked for 26 years ?on the mine said. Osei Agyemang, who was due to retire last October said ?this is good money I never dreamt of ?I am going to set up my own business with part of the money and also enjoy my retirement?.

Mr Agyemang said he is taking advantage of the entrepreneurial skills he got from the National Council for Small Scale Industries to create more wealth for himself and family.

 

Kwame Abu, is one of the Safety Managers on the mine with over 20 years? experience ?on both surface and underground. According to him ?? the decision to restructure the mine is timely and opportune. Let?s pray that with support of stakeholders , management can fix ?the with speed. ?Solomon Adjei with 30 years working experience on the mine is full of praise for the company for the pay out, saying ?we?ve not been sacked. We are going home not ?empty handed. We are grateful that we have a caring company??.

 

These were some of the responses from the obuasi employees ?after?the stakeholder encounter with AngloGold Ashanti executives in Accra yesterday. Addressing the meeting, ?David Noko, Executive Vice President Sustainability, stated that the 117-year old Obuasi mine had to properly address high costs, poor mining flexibility, low tonnages and deteriorating infrastructure, in order to ensure its long-term sustainable contribution to the local, regional and national economy.

 

Mr Noko said that, although AngloGold Ashanti Ghana has over the past decade contributed more than $577million in corporate taxes, royalties, dividend, customs duties and employee taxes to the economy; of this $324m came from Obuasi mine and the remainder from Iduapriem operation in Western Region, adding that the sharply lower gold price and worsening operational challenges at Obuasi ?required the current, holistic intervention to improve the prospects of the Obuasi mine?s long-term sustainability.

 

David Noko delivering his speech with Steve Richman and Fred Attakumah
David Noko delivering his speech with Steve Richman and Fred Attakumah

Setting the record straight that the Obuasi operation is not going to be closed down and that ?AngloGold Ashanti is not running away from Ghana; the executive Vice President explained that ?for many years this national treasure and world-class ore body has delivered well below its potential, making it imperative it undergoes a systemic change to allow it deliver a significant and sustainable contribution to all stakeholders, including local communities and the country as a whole?.

 

He added that ?AngloGold Ashanti has previously announced its intention to place the mine on limited operations while a comprehensive feasibility study is completed next year to convert the mine into a new, highly productive mechanised operation that can properly develop the high-grade reserve of about 7Moz and resource of about 20Moz?.

 

On his part Steve Rickman, Senior Vice President Human Resources said ?AngloGold Ashanti Ghana has, with the cooperation of the Ghana Mine Workers Union and in full compliance with the relevant laws and regulations, undertaken a phased programme of retrenchment at the mine. ?In the past two years, about 3100 employees have received severance packages in line with an agreement reached with the GMWU, and many on the basis of mutual agreement with the affected employees. As at today 18 November 2014, there are a total of 1300 full time employees and 1100 third-party contractors at Obuasi mine?., Mr Rickman said.

 

Fred Attakumah, Managing Director noted that AngloGold Ashanti ?will continue to work with the Obuasi Municipality in developing sustainable alternative economic activities in the town, where the majority of the economic activity is unrelated to Obuasi mine, reflecting the vibrancy of Obuasi? s non-mining economy. He said the company, in conjunction with Technoserve and National Council for Small Scale Industries, have started training not only the past and current employees but women from the communities on entrepreneurship and skills development on how they could set up their own ?small scale businesses. To empower women in the communities to contribute their quota to community growth and development the mine has, from January to date, trained about 74 women ?and ?donated GHC75000 ?to the 800 ?strong Obuasi Mine Workers Wives Association to expand and sustain their small scale business activities.

 

Making his contribution, Clifford Mpare, Chief Executive of Frontline Capital Advisors, commended the company for educating and creating awareness on jobs, investment and financial opportunities available to the employees ?and urged AngloGold Ashanti to expand and sustain the drive during the care and maintenance period. ?The capital advisors are managers of the Tier 2 and Tier 3 funds of AngloGold Ashanti employees and have been educating and creating investment and financial awareness for the obuasi mine for the last 7monhs. He urged the workers to seek advice ?on whatever option they choose to invest their money to ensure they wisely grow their money

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