Newmont workers shot as workers embark on a demonstration

Workers at the gold mining company, Newmont last week went on strike to express their displeasure over the unfair treatment of workers who hail from the areas where Newmont mine the mineral.

Workers who hail from Kenyanase 1, Kenyase 2, Ntotroso, and the two other communities where the mineral is mined went on the strike because they believe they are underpaid.

The workers said workers who are not from the area are given higher salaries than those who come from the mining area.

Instead of being paid GHC 15 per hour, they are paid GHC 3.80p per hour while those from outside the mining areas are paid GHC 28 per hour.

The workers and the Youth leaders in Ahafo met with the Regional Minister to discuss the matter.

The Minister, the workers said asked them to go to work and assured them he will set up a committee to solve the problem.

The workers when they went to work on Tuesday were asked to sign a form. The form they said demands them not to complain no matter the salary they will be given.

Agreeing to the terms means getting your job back.

The local workers chose to do a sit-down strike instead of signing the form.

During the sit-down strike, the police came to the work premises to disperse them. One worker, identified as

Kwaku Duah got shot when the police came to disperse the angry workers by firing gun and teargas.

Kwaku Duah was sent to St. Theresa Hospital for medical attention.

Also, there were reports that some other workers were also shot at Newmont’s other work premises.

According to a former worker who spoke to ABN Ghana and made these allegations, when the companies were run by Americans they were treated fairly and equally but since the South Africans took over, they ruling them with the ‘apartheid’ ideology.