The Ghana Mineworkers’ Union (GMWU) has announced it will host the 3rd Executive Council Meeting of the African Federation of Miners and Mineral Wealth (AFMMW) in Accra later this week, bringing together trade union leaders from across Africa’s mining sector.
In a media statement dated March 23, 2026, the Union said the meeting will take place at the La Palm Royal Hotel from Thursday, March 26 to Saturday, March 28, 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.”
According to the GMWU, the gathering will assemble delegates from several African countries, including South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Mali, Tanzania, and Egypt, to deliberate on key issues affecting mineworkers and the continent’s mineral wealth.
“The deliberations… will be geared towards making the continent’s rich mineral resources have multiplier effects on Africa’s accelerated development through the upholding of labour rights,” portions of the statement noted.
The meeting is expected to address growing concerns about global competition for Africa’s natural resources, particularly rare minerals, and the implications for local economies and workers.
It also comes at a time when many African countries are pushing for greater value retention from their extractive industries.
Ghana’s Minister for Labour, Jobs and Employment, Dr Abdul Rashid Pelpuo, is scheduled to deliver the keynote address, while General Secretary of the Socialist Movement of Ghana, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., will attend as guest speaker.
Organisers say the Accra meeting will also adopt “action-oriented commitments” aimed at strengthening the role of the AFMMW as a continental voice on mining and labour issues.
The African Federation of Miners and Mineral Wealth was established on February 27, 2024, in Cairo, Egypt, to serve as an umbrella body for mineworkers’ unions across the continent. Its mandate includes promoting workers’ rights, improving occupational safety standards, and supporting the African Mining Vision, which seeks to ensure that Africa’s mineral resources benefit its citizens.
The upcoming meeting is expected to further consolidate collaboration among member unions while positioning African mineworkers to respond collectively to emerging global challenges in the mining sector.
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