Obuasi (Ashanti Region), 16th June 99

A three-man committee charged to investigate the circumstances leading to the recent 17-day strike action by workers of the Obuasi mines of the Ashanti Goldfields Company (AGC) was inaugurated at Obuasi on Tuesday.

The committee, which has Brigadier Henry Anyidoho, Second Infantry Brigade Commander as chairman, is expected to establish the truth or otherwise of the allegation that non-AGC workers were involved in the strike action.

It is also expected that the committee, which has one month to complete its work, would come out with recommendations that would help maintain long-lasting industrial peace at the Obuasi mines.

Inaugurating the committee, Mr Austin Gamey, Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Welfare said the government is always responsive to workers' strike actions.

He explained that the setting up of the committee is a demonstration of government's preparedness to assure investors of a congenial atmosphere within which they could operate.

"To enable us to be seen managing affairs properly and assuring investors that government will not countenance such acts, it is prudent and appropriate to set up the fact-finding committee", the Deputy Minister stressed.

Mr Gamey, who recounted industrial actions at the Obuasi mines in 1969, 1979, and 1989, said the committee would help forestall yet "another problem, perhaps this time before 2009" since the nation, as well as the company, lost millions of dollars.

Brigadier Anyidoho said the committee appreciates the importance of industrial peace in the attainment of corporate objectives and would, therefore, discharge its duties with the principles of truth, fairness and firmness.

"We hope to bring our personal insight in worker-management relations to bear on the assignment entrusted to us, and we trust that in so doing, we shall contribute to fostering healthy relations at Obuasi mines of AGC, which we all know is a golden hen in Ghana's economy", he said.

The chairman gave the assurance that the committee would concern itself with the terms of reference and all related issues with the view that findings, recommendations and opinions that would be expressed would help to improve the relations between management and the rank and file at the Obuasi mines.

Other members of the committee, are Mr S. B. Mettle, Assistant Commissioner of Police and Deputy Ashanti Regional Police Commander, and Opanin Obeng Fosu, a retired Chief Labour Officer and a private industrial relations consultant in Accra.

On May 14, workers of the Obuasi mines embarked on a strike action for several days to back their demand for pay rise. The demonstrators also demanded the resignation of Mr. Sam Jonah. Chief Executive Officer of AGC, but there has been speculation that not all those who to the streets were workers of AGC.

It is believed that some outside forces who have an axe to grind with Mr. Jonah highjacked the unrest to pursue their agenda. The probe is to investigate the truth in the allegations.