Adamus Resources Ltd, a mining company based in Nzema in the Western Region is facing the threat of strike action following what appears to be a longstanding and damning list of concerns filed by its workers.
The company which is the subject of a court order establishing an interim management committee since August, has seen a gradual downturn in efficiency and industry observers have blamed a lot of its problems on worker unhappiness with management.
In a letter addressed to the management of Adamus Resources Limited (ARL), concerned employees have expressed their disappointment with the company’s response to their grievances.
The employees, represented by the Staff Local Union, raised several issues during a meeting held on 3rd October, 2023, but feel that their concerns were not adequately addressed in the subsequent communication from management.
The workers have given management up to 3 December to address their grievances or face their wrath.
The first issue highlighted by the employees is the failure or refusal of the company to provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for its workers, in violation of Minerals Commission regulations as well as a lack of essential drugs at the on-site clinic blamed on the company’s outstanding debts to suppliers.
Other issues they highlighted included, the lack of spare parts on site, which had severely hindered operations across various areas of the mine, and resulted in frequent downtime which has tarnished the company’s reputation.
The employees also expressed dissatisfaction with the company’s decision to pay only twenty-five percent (25%) of their 2022 end-of-year bonus, citing alleged cash-flow problems despite being able to sponsor SC Medeama and SWAG awards, raising questions about the fairness of this decision.
The aggrieved employees claim that their Provident Fund (PF) contributions are not reaching the Fund Manager and they demand that management promptly pay all outstanding PF contributions with interest to the Fund Manager. Several other companies in recent times have found themselves falling foul of Economic and Organised Commission for the selfsame failures.
In addition to these financial concerns, the employees go ahead to accuse the ‘CEO’, Miss Angela List, of instructing previous General Managers to terminate the employment of those leading the process to join the GMWU (Ghana Mine Workers’ Union) and argue that management has deliberately avoided engaging with the GMWU leadership to initiate the unionization process. Under the court order issued in the High Court of Ghana, Mrs List is restrained from holding herself out to be the CEO of Adamus, a fact which the staff seem to be unaware of.
In light of these issues, the concerned employees have called for immediate action on their demands and insist on receiving their full 2022 end-of-year bonus, regardless of their employment status; also requiring that their PF contributions, along with interest, be sent to the Fund Manager without delay;
the restoration of the end-of-contract benefit, fair treatment from management, and compliance with Ghanaian laws and employee rights. The employees have urged the ‘CEO’ to refrain from resorting to threats whenever legitimate claims are made,
It remains to be seen how management will respond to these demands and whether a resolution can be reached to address the concerns raised by the concerned employees of ARL.
As the deadline approaches, tensions are expected to remain high within the company and it may be even more important for the Sector Minister to implement the High Court ruling and swiftly move to appoint the chairman of the Interim Management Committee to run Adamus, which should have been in force from August of this year.
It is crucial for both the management and employees to dialogue and find a mutually beneficial solution to avoid any disruptions to the company’s operations.
