Violence at Newmont Mining's Start-up Project in Ghana

A start-up gold mining project in Ghana turned to violence on 2 September when three persons were injured by police gunfire. Police were attempting to disperse an angry group of workers who lost their jobs following Newmont Ghana Gold Mining Ltd.’s construction of mine milling plants. The workers along with persons from the town of Yamfo, Northern Brong Ahafo, had blocked a street that prevented Newmont’s buses from carrying workers to jobsites. Newmont, 100% owned by Newmont Mining Corp. of the US, the world’s leading gold miner, purchased a tract of Ghana’s Sefwi gold belt early this decade, and is expected to commence production in 2006 from two sites in northern Ghana of stated gold reserves totaling 16.5 million ounces. The company established a hiring procedure for all new jobs but when existing workers from the construction phase did not immediately re-apply, Newmont closed off the recruitment process and hired new workers.