Including Expatriates, Over Closure Open Pit Mining
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
The Management of MNG Gold mining company in Kokoyah, Liberia’s central Bong County has redundant 250, including an expatriates employees over Closure of Open Pit Mining.
The Gold mining company issued the letter of notification on the redundant employees early August of this year and finally layoff over the weekend.
This is the latest in a series of redundancies by a number of companies around Liberia, a move that have left hundreds of Liberians out of jobs in the past two years.
The decision by the MNG Gold management came as the result of closure of the open pit mine in the area. And the company says those who are redundant cannot be on their payroll when open pit mining is shut down.
According to MNG Gold management, while they were at the verge of carrying out the redundancy, they have done feasibility study of doing underground mining and said report has been forwarded to the Ministry of Mines and energy, pending government’s approval or permit.
The process of awaiting government approval may likely takes four to five months and in so doing, those who are redundant cannot be on their Company’s payroll when they are not working.
MNG Gold management said if they are given permit for the underground mining and the company is still in need of workers, those who are redundant will be given first preference.
They will later be trained and given skills of underground mining.
According to the gold mining company, the latest redundancy was done in in consultation with the Ministry of Labor, the workers union and MNG Gold Mine management.
Meanwhile, MNG Gold management says the redundant workers have reportedly “received their just benefits in line with the Decent Work Act.”