KINJOR, Grand Cape Mount County - Following several hours of negotiations between the union and management of Bea Mountain Mining Company, in Kinjor Grand Cape Mount County, the two parties have reached a satisfactory deal thus placing smiles on the faces of all parties.
Over the weekend, the union leadership, officials from the 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 permeant 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.
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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.
Background:
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.
