Migrant Workers Union Reacts To Decision On Mining

The Migrants Labour General Workers’ Union (MLGWU) has declared support for government’s decision to sanitise the mining environment while waiting for a new policy on the fate of the migrant workers in the country.

In a statement signed by Mr Muniratu Iddrisu Sampa, the President of the Union and Mr Justice Baako Ntarmah, the General Secretary and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday, encouraged the affected migrant labour workers to remain resolute.

“We ask all of you to respect the authorities’ deadline to remove your equipment from sites immediately to maintain dignity in line with managing labour migration and migrant labour workers,” the statement said.

They told all immigrants workers who desire to return to their countries or communities as a result of joblessness and has become stranded due to the government’s policy to depart peacefully and safely without fear of intimidation at the destination points of entry and arrival.

It stated that the migrant labour workers ought to understand the predicament that came with migration life was not permanent.

The statement noted, “These challenges cannot discourage us from trade union struggle for decent and sustainable work, social justice and protection for general migrant labour workers.

“So let us take opportunity of this incident and prepare ourselves on how to face future eventualities in the labour migration movement and pray for decent work.

“Let us take opportunity of this incident to prepare ourselves on how to face future eventualities in the labour migration movement and pray for decent work.”

The statement asked members of the Union not to blame the President for the decision but rather the employers for illegal situation and also embrace his policies on working environment, which pertained to the United Nations and International Labour Organisation standards.

The Statement, however, called on the government to ensure the safe departure of intended immigrant labour workers without intimidation or discrimination.

It called on the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations and the related ministries to ensure that the affected migrant/immigrant labour workers have percentage of job allocation from expecting new district employment projects the government intends to create.

The statement appealed to government and or private investors to establish a Migrant Labour Workers’ bank in Ghana to offer special assistance to migrant/immigrant.

“Some of the migrants face problems in remittance and lending monies through banks, whilst labour migration cannot be avoided but needs continuous education to reduce its negative effects,” it stated.

The statement also called on the government or individuals to help MLGWU create a fund to assist evacuate Ghanaian migrant workers abroad, who intend to return home but could not afford to do so.