Public Agenda (Accra)
Ama Achiaa Amankwah
20 October 2008
Accra — Akwatia township, which years back earned its name as "the diamond town" due to the economic benefits mining had brought is said to be experiencing an increase in teenage pregnancies.
Speaking to Public Agenda, some of the former employees of Ghana Consolidated Diamonds Ltd (GCD) who were laid off without severance awards, said they are unable to provide three square meals daily for their wards due to non-payment of their emoluments.
This paper has learnt that some workers started selling their personal belongings to survive. Others have also attempted suicide on several occasions.
They said the situation is breaking the moral fibre of the entire Akwatia community. "We are not able to control our children because we cannot meet their needs".
In a petition, the 552 affected workers popularly called, "Concerned Verbally Declared Redundant Workers of GCD" implored the President John Kufuor to intervene in the matter.
"We plead with your Excellency to address this situation as a matter of urgency by squeezing water out of the rock to pay what is due to us to enable us send our wards to school, since education is the root to development."
They said majority of their children have been sacked from school for non-payment of fees, while several of these children who have completed Junior High Schools are not dreaming of entering Senior High Schools even though they have gained admissions.
Since August 31, 2007 when the mining facility was partially shut down by the management as a result of problems facing the company, the 552 workers who were laid off without their severance awards have not received anything as of this day.
At a Joint Consultative meeting between Management, Senior Staff Association (SSA) and Ghana Mineworkers Union (GMU) held at the GCD Head Office in Accra on January 22, 2008, the parties agreed that the cut-off date for the severance awards to be set should be August 31, 2007 for payment of severance awards to all employees.
This was in reference to the Collective Bargaining Agreement between GCD, GMU and SSA condition of service. The meeting also concluded that payment of severance benefits must be effected by February ending, 2008, else, the affected workers would continue to receive their monthly salaries till the memorandum of understanding is honoured.
GCD which is currently the only mine wholly owned by the state is now a shadow of its past glory. GCD established in 1924 is the biggest producer of diamond in the country. It has a total concession of 185.35 square miles within the Birim diamond field and Kobriso Gold concession.
A visit to the site last year revealed that machines and equipment meant for the production of diamonds have been rendered obsolete with the passage of years, bringing untold economic hardship on the community.
For many years GCD's large -scale mining production eclipsed artisanal diamond mining in Ghana. While there has been a steady decline in total diamond mining production in Akwatia over the past decades, small- scale diamond mining product has increased exponentially in the area.
The primary driving force for the increase in artisanal mining activities in Akwatia was that GCD sold up its mine concession to tributors / to small-scale miners. Besides, there are problems with illicit galamsey mining activities in the town.
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