A renewed sense of hope and enthusiasm has swept through workers of Heath Goldfields Limited following the settlement of longstanding severance and salary-related disputes involving workers of the Bogoso-Prestea Mine.
Former and current workers of the mine had, since late 2025, staged a series of protests over unpaid severance packages, salary arrears, and provident fund contributions owed to more than 400 workers who were laid off after the mine’s ownership transition in 2024.
The uncertainty surrounding the payments had also raised concerns among sections of the public and workers over the ability of Heath Goldfields Limited to successfully revive operations at the mine.
However, in a major boost to the company’s recovery efforts, global commodities giant Trafigura recently signed an offtake agreement with Heath Goldfields Limited for the purchase of 700,000 ounces of gold doré from the Bogoso-Prestea Mine in the Western Region. As part of the agreement, Trafigura is also providing 65 million US dollars in debt financing to support the restart of oxide ore operations at the mine.
In what many workers describe as a demonstration of commitment and good faith, management of Heath Goldfields has now settled the long-outstanding debts owed to workers.
The development sparked scenes of celebration at the mine, as workers, amid music and dancing, paraded through the mining community in appreciation of the company’s efforts to restore confidence and stability.
Branch Chairman of the Ghana Mine Workers Union, Patrick Gyampanyin Ghartey, praised management for honouring its obligations to workers.
“We are here today as both the current workforce and former workers of this mine to show our appreciation to Heath Goldfields. We all know the circumstances under which Heath Goldfields took over this mine because FGR could not deliver.
There are regulations governing the mining sector, and they could not meet those obligations. There were so many arrears, including SSNIT payments, provident fund contributions, and even our severance packages.
When FGR took over from Golden Star, they settled only 60 percent of the severance package, and it took them more than three years. Heath Goldfields came in and settled the remaining 40 percent that had not been paid. We are here to show our appreciation to Heath Goldfields.”
Addressing the jubilant workers, Managing Director of the mine, Patrick Appiah Mensah, disclosed that the company had cleared all legacy debts amounting to 22 million US dollars.
“We had an arrangement with the Ghana Mine Workers Union, and we provided them with a clear roadmap governing the payment milestones. We are happy to report that today we have satisfied and honoured all the commitments.
Today, we have paid a total of 22 million US dollars in worker entitlements that were left behind by the former operators of the mine,” he explained.
“It is our commitment to ensure that every worker is prioritised because our greatest asset is the workforce of this mine. We thank you all for your show of appreciation,” he added.
Branch Secretary of the Ghana Mine Workers Union, Raymond Bimpong Boateng, also noted that years of inefficiencies under previous ownership severely crippled the Bogoso-Prestea Mine, but expressed confidence that Heath Goldfields has restored hope to both workers and the surrounding communities.
“At the time, FGR could not pay its electricity bills, so the company was disconnected from the national grid. That was how the whole problem started. They owed 28 million dollars to VRA and 1.5 million dollars to GRIDCo.
The promise of the new management was that they were going to revive the mine and pay all outstanding entitlements due the workforce, including former workers. Lo and behold, they have been able to honour every payment owed to former workers.
There is hope again because initially, when you came here, the whole place was bushy. There was no electricity, and the plant was corroded. Since Heath Goldfields stepped in, they have awarded contracts for the refurbishment of the plant, and significant progress has been made.”
Source :www.kumasimail.com
