BEA MOUNTAIN WORKERS SMILE…As management gives 116 contractors employment status

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Mr. Samuel A. Roberts  Chairman of the Workers Union  signing the MOU.

Following several hours of negotiations between  the  workers  and management of Bea  Mountain Mining  Company  in Kinjor Grand  Cape Mount county, the two parties have reached a  satisfactory deal  by giving  160  Contractors  employment  status.

Over the weekend,  the union  leadership,  officials,  Bureau of Concession, Labor National Investment Commission, and the management reached a memorandum of understanding which led to  the company  changing the status of 116  short-term contractors  to permanent status.

At the end of the negotiations, both parties agreed to the  following;  the reinstatement of  union officials with different assignments, 116 Short term contractors’ status was changed to permanent status, 90 daily hires (Casual Workers) status were changed to short term, All short term workers will all benefits ( school fees, medical insurance,  rice subsidy and other benefits contained in the CBA upon signing the new consent form from the union leadership, Recreation construction was approved awaiting completion of the land to be purchased from the community which has started;  Acceptance to start working with  new bargaining agent (mother union).

The  Chairman of the workers union, Mr. Samuel  Roberts read the  MOU to the workers after the signing ceremony.  Also, it was agreed that there would be the maintenance of industrial harmony at the mine.

It was agreed that there would be no strike action or lockout of any kind by the workers. More to that, It was also stated in the MOU that the workers  would  continue to engage management  in  social dialogue  in resolving their grievances and not in any way support or lend support to any form of strike action.

For its part, management agreed that it would not institute any form of  disciplinary  action against any worker who had earlier engaged in strike action announced before September 16, 2022.

Management agreed to construct a recreation center in Kinjor, management agreed to furnish  workers with names of  workers whose employment status  was changed.

It can be recalled that early this year, the company filed a notice of termination and redundancy to the ministry of Labour for 35 Liberian employees and 16 Turkish nationals on grounds that their assignment sites  have been exhausted and there was no need for any job.

When the letter was sent, the chairman of the workers union, Mr. Samuel A. Roberts was served copy and did not act  within the time frame.

Based upon that, the ministry granted Bea mountain permission to effect the termination of those  specific employees.

After two months of said redundancy, the union chairman Mr. Samuel  A. Roberts, and Reklyatu Wayne filed with the ministry a five-count objection which was accompanied by a notice to strike and lockdown.

The union chairman in his five-count petition called for the reinstatement  of all union leaders who were declared redundant illegally  and those other illegal due paying workers; commence immediate discussions of newly exclusive bargaining  agents  on all  matters of the CBA,

A ruling was given in the case by the Ministry of Labor. However, the workers decided to further dialogue with management after a number of them decided to embark on strike action.


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