The Management of the Bea Mountain Mining Company and Workers’ Union are set to embark on a new Collective Bargain Agreement (CBA), negotiation.
The disclosure was made over the weekend at the close of a two-day capacity-building workshop for the newly elected leadership of the Bea Mountain Mining Company (BMMC), Workers Union.
The workshop was organized by the Ministry of Labour in collaboration with the Gold and Diamond Mines and Energy Workers Union of Liberia with support from the Management of BMMC.
The Gold, Diamond Mines and Energy Workers Union of Liberia is the Bargaining Agent or mother union for the Bea Mining Workers Union. It is the National Union or Mother Union recognized by the Ministry of Labour to spearhead workers’ activities in the Mining Sectors in Liberia including the Bea Mountain Mining Company, Western Cluster, and MNG Gold in Bong County.
Speaking during the opening of the workshop, Mr. Macauley Gecleo, Secretary General of the Gold and Diamond Mines and Energy Workers Union of Liberia said that the workshop is intended to educate the leadership of the workers of BMMC on their roles and responsibilities for the next two years as the workers’ leaders. He stressed that “there is a need for union leaders to have the necessary understanding and training about their responsibilities, especially working in the mining sector where there are frequent labour conflicts and grievances. As such, they must have an understanding of how to mitigate these situations.
Therefore, our Union in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour with support from the Management of BMMC has organized the event to build the capacity of the union leaders to enable them to effectively and efficiently lead activities of the over 5000 workers of the company”.
Mr. Gecleo indicated that on November 23, 2024, workers of the company went to the pull and elected a 26-member new local leadership of BMMC.
He noted that Bea Mountain Mining Company is considered one of the biggest mining companies in the country and is often faced with too many labour issues arising from workers and management relations as well as workplace conditions, it is important that the new leadership elected by their co-workers understand their obligations to their members, management and the government through the Ministry of Labour.
He added that Bea Mountain is very key to the Government of Liberia because it provides over 5,000 employment opportunities for citizens, therefore, is important that there is industrial peace and harmony at this mining site at all times.
“Before we took over as Mother Union of the Local Workers’ Union, there were struggles between workers and management, especially as it relates to salary, employment contracts, working conditions, and preference for Liberians to employment, and not much was done to address these situations in the past.
When invited to serve as Mother Union over six months ago, with our involvement, there has been calm at the mining site and the constant protestation has been put to rest because we are working with management and workers to ensure that these issues and others are resolved amicably to an increase industrial peace and harmony.
The Gold, Diamond, and Mines Workers of Liberia, Secretary General said, one of the key objectives of the workshop is to prepare the newly elected leadership of the Local Union for the upcoming Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), a negotiation between the management and Workers which is expected to start soon. He said during these negotiations, which are expected to involve some workers who will advance proposals gear toward improvement in benefits and working conditions for the workers.
It also hopes to be held under a friendly atmosphere which will help to enhance the relationship between the management and workers.
In conclusion, Mr. Gecleo assured the government and Bea Mountain Corporation that the continuous protestation they knew before at the workplace is now of the past and that his union is committed to ensuring social dialogue, working with all parties including the Ministry of Labour in resolving any future labour disputes and workers actions.
Also speaking was the Assistant Labour Minister for Trade Union Affairs and Social Dialogue, Hon. Rufus T. Saylee who welcomed the conduct of the two-day event intended to educate leaders on their role and responsibilities which he described as key to promoting peace in the labour sector of the country.
He noted that the Ministry of Labour’s stance benefits when the Mother Union and local union agree to work together to reduce conflicts in the workplace as such, grievances and interventions of the Ministry will be reduced. He said that considering that there will always be workers and management problems in the workplace, it is the Ministry of Labour’s role to mitigate them, and how it goes about to it reduce it is to have both actors in the workplace aware of their functions, roles, and responsibilities.
Assistant Minister Saylee expressed that the Government of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai is doing everything possible to ensure workers across
the Country are satisfied noting that the CBA negotiation will commence between the workers and management at which time it is expected that several issues relating to the worker’s welfare will be considered for discussion. “Is not just easy for workers to be satisfied, but we at the Ministry of Labour are doing everything to ensure that workers across Liberia rights are protected in line with the Decent Work Act which is the Labour Law of Liberia” he added.
For his part, the Deputy Minister for Planning and Manpower Development, Hon. Steve S. Kolubah hailed the organizers and participants of the workshop, especially the coming head of the CBA negotiation between workers and management noting that it places the new union leaders in a better position to represent the interest of their members.
He assured the Union leaders that the pending negotiation is going to succeed because when workers succeed, it means that the Ministry of Labour has also succeeded. He cautioned both workers and management to avoid conflict in the workplace by doing the right things and listening to the cry of their workers which we all share responsibility over. He encouraged the workers to include all non-Liberians and to understand that there is no relationship without problems, especially people coming from different backgrounds. “My first assignment as Deputy Minister was Bea Mountain that is where I can say I learned about labour disputes and can call some of you workers leaders by name.
But I also believe that we have moved to another level if we can negotiate well with the management. Though on many occasions the Ministry of Labour’s stance accused of being one-sided, we have worked to ensure that the rights of workers are protected and at the same time that the investment/investors is/are protected. Because if Bea Mountain leaves thousands of people will go out looking for jobs” Deputy Minister Kolubah Concluded.
The workshop which was held in the Conference Room of the Ministry of Labour brought together the senior management team, the LRA, ILO, NASSCORP, and union leaders, amongst others.
Topics presented during the two day event by facilitators were drawn from the Ministry of Labour, LRA, ILO, NASSCORP management, and the Union were: -Functions and responsibilities of Mother union, local union leadership, and management;
-Taxpayers Rights and Responsibilities (Personal Income and Tax Calculation); Grievance management and procedures; -Management policies; and Conflict management.
26 members of the BMMC Local Workers Union received certificates of participation.
“We are very delighted with this capacity-building workshop because it has afforded us the opportunities as workers’ leaders to understand our roles, responsibilities, and rights as workers in the workplace.
One key presentation during the workshop was Taxpayers Rights and Responsibilities (Personal Income and Tax Calculation), which educated on how taxes are calculated and deductions are done. This has been a key concern for workers” one leader noted.
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