Accra, April 13, GNA - The Ghana Mines Workers Union (GMWU) is in touch with the Ghana Chamber of Mines to compel mining companies to provide their employees with alternative employable skills which they could use elsewhere when mining ceases. Mr Isaac Gyimah, Deputy General Secretary of GMWU, told the GNA in an interview that it was important to ensure that miners were not handicapped in future when mining ends.

He said GMWU would also hold a skills conference to evolve a skills audit programme to ascertain which skills could be obtained locally. Mr Gyimah said the union had proposed that part of mining receipts could be used in developing infrastructure in mining communities. He said another area is the creation of a Fund to be sustained by royalties paid by companies and added "what we are thinking is that it should be possible to increase the present royalties being paid by the companies."

"If this is done we should agree which percentage should go to the fund instead of the district assemblies."

Mr Gyimah said the Fund should be managed by a board that should ensure that funds are used for the development of mining communities. He said the union has also identified fish farming as a potential area for bolstering economies of the communities and the union is to team up with the Chamber to get mining companies use open pits created by mining for that purpose. Mr Gyimah said mining companies should reclaim land by going into oil palm plantation.