Accra, Dec. 21, GNA - The Ghana Mine Workers Union (GMWU) has called= on the Government to ratify the ILO Convention on Safety in the Mines, saying "=85it's urgently imperative."

The Union therefore called on the Ghana Chamber of Mines to come along in the pursuit for the ratification process to ensure that Ghana's 1970 mining regulations were amended to reflect the standard spelt in the Convention to address the inherent deficiencies on health and safety in the industry. A statement issued by the Union and copied to Ghana News Agency on Monday said safety and health in the Mines Convention was central to achieving decent work in the industry, which had occupational wellbeing and health as its main challenge.

It explained that the union intended to liaise also with the Trades Union Congress to drive the process for the betterment of their members in their quest to strengthen the foreign exchange base of the economy. The Union noted that the mining industry in the country was controlled and monitored by a number of legal and regulatory frameworks that affected almost every aspect of the industry. "Health and Safety issues have, however, been obscured in the variou= s legal regimes either as a result of preference for reducing the burden of would be investors particularly in the Minerals and Mining Act 2006 Act 703", it added. It explained that the Inspectorate Division of the Mineral Commission= 's regulatory framework provides only scope and direction, legal limit, responsibilities and rights to present a basis for creating legal relationships on health and safety issues.