Accra is set to become the focal point of Africa’s mining labour movement this week as the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union (GMWU) hosts the 3rd Executive Council Meeting of the African Federation of Miners and Mineral Wealth (AFMMW).
The three-day meeting will take place at the La Palm Royal Hotel from Thursday, March 26, to Saturday, March 28, 2026, under the theme: “Strengthening Unity and Solidarity Among the African Unions of Mines to Confront the New Global Order and Attempts to Control Natural Resources and Rare Minerals.”
The event is expected to draw delegates from mining sector trade unions across the continent, including representatives from Ghana, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Mali, Tanzania, and Egypt, among others.
GMWU, which operates under the Trades Union Congress (TUC-Ghana), is hosting the gathering as part of efforts to deepen collaboration among African mineworkers in addressing emerging global challenges within the extractive sector.
Ghana’s Minister for Labour, Jobs and Employment, Dr. Abdul Rashid Pelpuo, will deliver the keynote address, while veteran journalist and General Secretary of the Socialists Movement of Ghana, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., will serve as guest speaker.
Discussions at the meeting are expected to focus on strategies to ensure that Africa’s vast mineral resources translate into tangible development outcomes for the continent.
Key among these will be the promotion of labour rights, improved occupational health and safety standards, and policies that maximize the economic benefits of mineral wealth for African countries.
Participants are also expected to adopt a set of action-oriented commitments aimed at strengthening the role of the African Federation of Miners and Mineral Wealth as a leading voice on mining sector issues across the continent.
The AFMMW, established on February 27, 2024, in Cairo, Egypt, serves as the umbrella body for mineworkers’ unions in Africa. The federation seeks to unify workers in the sector, advocate for their rights, and collaborate with governments and regional institutions to advance the African Mining Vision.
The meeting in Accra is anticipated to further consolidate the federation’s influence while reinforcing solidarity among mineworkers in an increasingly complex global mining landscape.
The statement announcing the event was issued by the General Secretary of the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union, Abdul-Moomin Gbana, who also serves as Deputy Secretary General of the African Federation of Miners and Mineral Wealth.
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