AngloGold Ashanti refutes claims of demonstrating ex-workers

Management of AngloGold Ashanti Ghana has denied owing any compensation to what it says was a “small group of former employees” who on Monday began picketing at the company’s head office in Accra.

The group, part of retrenched staff in 2013 and 2014, are accusing the management of refusing to honour a commitment to pay off the said compensation agreed in an “Unprecedented Negotiation Agreement”, and are undertaking the demonstration to back their demands.

Having come all the way from Obuasi to demonstrate in Accra, they vowed to stay on with the demonstration until they hear favourably from the management.

However a statement issued by the company also on Monday, described the ex-workers action as regrettable and the “Unprecedented Negotiation Agreement” a forgery, saying “all entitlements due to retrenched employees were fully paid, in accordance with the Collective Agreement and all applicable laws.”

Below is the statement by AngloGold Ashanti.

AngloGold Ashanti Ghana Sets Record Straight on Retrenchment Packages

AngloGold Ashanti Ghana ("the Company") notes with regret protest action outside of its office in Accra by a small group of former employees alleging some inadequacies of the retrenchment packages paid out to employees back in 2014.

The Company is confident that all entitlements due to retrenched employees were fully paid, in accordance with the Collective Agreement and all applicable laws. The retrenchment programme, preceded by intensive dialogue with affected parties, was supported and facilitated by a range of stakeholders, including national authorities, the Ghana Mine Workers' Union (GMWU) and the Chief Labour Officer.

AngloGold Ashanti Ghana is disappointed that despite several engagements with this aggrieved group to clarify the Collective Agreement and verify calculations, these unfounded claims persist, including a purported Unprecedented Negotiation Agreement signed in 2013 by the Company, the Chief Labour Officer and the GMWU. The Company and the GMWU have made it clear to the leadership of this aggrieved group that this purported Unprecedented Negotiation Agreement is a forgery. This matter has been reported to the Ghana Police and an investigation is currently underway.

AngloGold Ashanti Ghana is currently seized with the important work of redeveloping the Obuasi Mine into a modern, productive, long-life and high-margin mining operation. This effort not only provides jobs to the mine's direct employees but ensures further job creation through procurement and contract opportunities offered to a range of local businesses across the operation's value chain.