A Health, Safety, Environmental and Risk Management professional, Isaac Anaba Aruk, has backed the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union’s campaign against contract mining and fixed-term employment practices in Ghana’s mining sector.
According to Mr Aruk, the widespread use of short-term employment contracts, including six-month, one-year and two-year arrangements, deprives mine workers of job security, benefits and protections associated with permanent employment.
He argued that the issue goes beyond workers’ economic welfare, stressing that job insecurity could also have implications for safety in the mining industry.
“Mining is inherently high-risk work. Workers who face constant uncertainty about their job security are less likely to report hazards, raise safety concerns, or resist unsafe practices for fear of non-renewal,” he said.
Mr Aruk, who said he has 10 years of direct experience in mining operations, maintained that a workforce operating under precarious employment conditions could struggle to develop the long-term safety culture required in a high-risk industry.
He therefore called on the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to take decisive action to address what he described as exploitative short-term and fixed-term employment arrangements in the sector.
Among other measures, he urged the government to abolish exploitative short-term contracts, require mining companies to employ workers on permanent terms commensurate with the risks associated with their jobs, and enforce compliance with labour and employment obligations.
“Ghanaian mine workers deserve dignity, security, and protection, not disposable, short-term labour arrangements that put both their livelihoods and their safety at risk,” Mr Aruk said.
His comments come as the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union petitions authorities over contract mining and employment practices in the sector. The union has presented petitions to relevant state institutions as part of its campaign for improved conditions and greater employment security for workers.
