Former Bogoso-Prestea Mine Workers Demand Payment of Outstanding Entitlements from Heath Goldfields
Former workers of the Bogoso-Prestea Mine are demanding the immediate payment of all outstanding entitlements owed them by Heath Goldfields Limited (HGL), while calling for a full-scale investigation into the company’s takeover and financial operations.
In a press statement dated October 31, 2025, the former employees accused the mining company of persistent non-payment of lawful benefits, selective treatment of workers, and breaches of regulatory and operational protocols since assuming control of the mine in late 2024.
The workers say Heath Goldfields, which took over the Bogoso-Prestea Mine after Future Global Resources (FGR) lost its lease for repeated breaches, has failed to fulfil promises to clear all legacy debts, stabilize operations, and restore production at the site.
“The company’s repeated failure to pay all entitlements exposes a disturbing disregard for the authority of the Ministry and the welfare of Ghanaian workers,” the statement read.
Background to the Takeover
Future Global Resources acquired the mine from Golden Star Resources in 2020, but financial challenges led to operational collapse and unrest among employees. The then Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, terminated FGR’s lease in 2024, subsequently reassigning it to Heath Goldfields on assurances of financial and technical capacity.
However, nearly a year after the reassignment, the workers allege that HGL has failed to meet critical obligations, including full payment of salaries, provident fund contributions, severance packages, and end-of-contract benefits.
They also accuse the company of engaging in unauthorized movement of gold-bearing material and of selective compensation, allegedly favouring employees aligned with particular union interests.
Ministerial Intervention and Continued Default
The current Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, had in May 2025 issued a 120-day ultimatum compelling HGL to settle outstanding arrears. This led to partial payments to a section of former workers.
Despite this intervention, the workers say most entitlements remain unpaid. According to a memorandum dated August 27, 2025, HGL had pledged to clear all provident fund arrears by the end of September 2025, but by October 31, less than half had received payment. A subsequent company memo postponed the deadline again to December 2025.
The group argues that these repeated deferments are evidence of the company’s weak financial position and disregard for legal obligations under Section 18 of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), which mandates full remuneration upon termination of employment.
Call for Government Action
The former employees are urging the Lands Ministry to compel HGL to settle all outstanding entitlements and to commission a financial and operational audit into the company’s capacity to manage the mine.
They further questioned the basis of the lease transfer, suggesting inadequate due diligence was conducted before the mine was handed to Heath Goldfields.
“The current situation is untenable. The suffering of several families who have devoted decades to Ghana’s mining sector cannot continue unchecked,” the workers stated.
The petition was signed by Kwame Kyei Addo, Moses Tandoh, and Francis Eshun, representing the affected workers, and copied to key sector stakeholders including the Minerals Commission, Environmental Protection Authority, and the Western Regional Minister.
Broader Context
The demands from the former workers come amid an ongoing ministerial investigation into Heath Goldfields’ operations following The Herald’s exposé alleging financial misrepresentation, regulatory breaches, and illegal mining practices at the Bogoso-Prestea mine site.
The outcome of the Ministry’s probe and the pending report from its five-member committee are expected to shape government’s next steps regarding the company’s future in Ghana’s mining sector.
