Fighting for inclusion: Youth of Abirem challenge Newmont’s employment practices

In the heart of Abirem, a small town nestled in Ghana’s Birim North District, the towering presence of Newmont’s Akyem mine symbolizes both hope and disappointment.

For over 15 years, this mine has promised prosperity to the local communities. Yet, many residents feel overlooked and marginalized. As the youth of Abirem wrestle with limited employment opportunities, their frustrations have ignited a movement demanding change and inclusion in the mining sector.

The promise of prosperity

When Newmont first announced its operations in Abirem locals believed the mine would bring in jobs and economic growth. Kwame Odame (not his real name), a local welder, recalls the optimism that surrounded the announcement.

“We thought it would bring jobs and opportunities for us all,” Odame says. “After all, there’s a saying in our Akan language: ‘No one rejects the good things come to them.’ But as time passed, it became clear that those good things weren’t meant for us.”

“It feels like a trick. They post opportunities to show they care, but we never get hired. It’s painful to see our community being taken over by outsiders while we struggle to find work.”

The situation is dire for many youths in Abirem and neighboring communities. With limited options available, some have resorted to illegal mining activities known as “galamsey,” which pose significant risks to both their safety and the environment.

“If Newmont were to train us and give us real opportunities, we wouldn’t have to resort to illegal mining,” Kwame Odame argues. “We want to work hard and contribute positively to our community.”

Aboagye, another young man in Abirem, echoes Kwame Odame’s sentiments. He dreams of securing a job at Newmont to enable him support his family. However, the path to employment is fraught with challenges. Each time Newmont posts job opportunities, Aboagye must navigate a complicated application process that often feels more like a formality than a genuine opportunity to get a job.

“Why not an online application or a proper interview?” he asks, reflecting on the impersonal nature of submitting his application into a box outside the mine’s entrance.

According to Aboagye, a committee, including chiefs and some opinion leaders, that was set up to promote native employment failed to live up to its mandate with members allegedly choosing their selfish interests over the welfare of the youth.

He also describes an unusual hiring process at the mines, where applicants participate in what appears to be a lottery-like balloting system. For example, if three positions are available, a number of slips are prepared and three marked with ‘yes’ and several others marked with “no”. Applicants then randomly pick from the slips, and only those who are lucky enough to pick the ‘yes’ slips are offered employment.

Newmont however insists that all open positions are advertised online and processed through their recruitment portal. The company explains that for trainee positions targeted at local candidates, they also accept hard-copy applications to accommodate those with limited internet access.

On the alleged lottery-based selection process, Newmont denies that hiring is based on a balloting system. The company rather admits that a balloting system for unskilled labor was agreed upon with community stakeholders to ensure fair distribution of opportunities. According to Newmont, 100% of unskilled labour is recruited from host communities, and quotas for each community are predetermined in the Employment Agreement signed with the Social Responsibility Forum (SRF) – a collaborative platform established by Newmont in Akyem to facilitate respectful engagement and collaboration with its host communities. 

The role of local leaders

According to some youth who do not want to be named, local leaders play an influential role in Newmont’s recruitment processes. They allege that some of the leaders misused their influence by prioritizing personal interest. One of the chiefs they believe is misusing his influence is, Obrempong Kwasi Amo Tweretwie, the chief of Abirem. According to them, the chief has a company that manages scrap metal at the Newmont site. They believe this relationship with Newmont has shifted his loyalty to the company rather than the youth in his traditional area.

“How can they help us when they’re more interested in profits?” Aboagye wonders.

The Fourth Estate reached out to Obrempong Kwasi Amo Tweretwie for his response to these allegations, but he declined to comment.

When asked about the role of local leaders in recruitment and scrap contracts, Newmont explained that scrap contract awards go through a competitive bidding process managed by their supply chain department. Local businesses must meet minimum requirements to qualify, and the final contract includes a clause ensuring that all employees under the contract must be from host communities.

In Mamaso, a settlement about four kilometers away from Abirem, Nana Adakwah, the chief, is both grateful and concerned about Newmont’s operations. While he appreciates the financial support for local infrastructure projects through the Newmont Akyem Development Foundation and scholarships for students pursuing higher education, he also worries about intense competition among youth from ten mining communities vying for limited job openings.

Nana Adakwah says he has been advocating for chiefs to have slots in Newmont recruitments whenever they meet as a committee. However, his advocacy has not yielded positive outcomes owing to resistance from some of his colleague chiefs.

Discontent among chiefs

The chief of Akyim Amanfrom, another mining community, Nana Adarkwah, shares similar sentiments as his counterpart in Mamaso. He acknowledges that Newmont has supported local infrastructure and education but remains deeply concerned about the employment struggles of the youth. Nana Adarkwah also introduces a new dimension to the issue of the long-standing tensions among chiefs in the area, particularly with Obrempong Kwasi Amo Tweretwie, the chief of Abirem.

“There is a big grudge among the chiefs,” Nana Adarkwah reveals. “And if we don’t resolve this, our people will continue to suffer. The real problem is that instead of uniting for the welfare of the youth, there are too many power struggles and personal interests at play. We need an open conversation about this, not just among us as chiefs but with the youth as well. If we don’t set things right, the next generation will suffer even more than we have.”

A non-native worker at Newmont, who wishes to remain anonymous, pointed out that many of the workers at the Newmont mines are not locals, but rather individuals from outside the area or those with connections to influential figures in the company. Through friends in the community, he has learned that the local youth are not happy with the lack of opportunities. He suggested that local chiefs and successful individuals could establish businesses, thus providing more job opportunities for the youth and diversifying their prospects beyond mining, citing his own example of buying a fleet of tricycles, which he uses provide jobs for some young people in the area.

–Random “Pragia” riders in Abirem

Community voices demand change

Most of those The Fourth Estate spoke to in Abirem expressed fears about the risk of repeat of disruptive demonstrations in the past by the youth against Newmont. In the most recent demonstration on 15 December 2021, youth from 10 communities locked up Newmont offices and demanded an immediate halt to operations.

In written comments to The Fourth Estate, Newmont pointed to a number of skills development and alternative livelihood initiatives it has adopted, aimed at creating long-term opportunities within its host communities. The company claimed that since 2011, its Apprenticeship and Leadership Programmes have trained over 225 local youth in maintenance and equipment operations, with 74% of them currently employed within Newmont’s ecosystem. Beyond mining, Newmont claims it has also introduced the Local Economic Diversification Support (LEDS) initiative, which seeks to expand employment options outside the mining sector. One notable project under this initiative is the EnviroDomes greenhouse farming venture in Akyem, designed to empower locals through agribusiness. In addition, Newmont rolled out the Women Economic Resiliency Programme (WERP) in October 2022, targeting women across the ten communities to improve their financial independence and resilience in the post-pandemic era. To support entrepreneurship, the company says that through its foundation, it has established the Pempamsie Credit Union, offering accessible loans to small business owners and local entrepreneurs with the aim of fostering sustainable livelihoods beyond the mining value chain.

Asamoah Boateng, Assembly member for Abirem Electoral Area

But many of the youth say these are not enough as they have done very little to reduce unemployment in their ranks. Asamoah Boateng, an assembly member of the Abirem Electoral area, emphasises that while Newmont has made promises of employment and prosperity, these commitments have not been fulfilled.

“When the mining company came, they took all our lands which were meant for farming and promised they would employ our youth,” he said. “Unfortunately, it did not happen.”

“If you go to the company and line up their workers, you won’t find 30% of them coming from our communities,” Asamoah claims.

He points out that many locals are left without job opportunities while outsiders fill positions within the mine.

Yaw Glover, a resident, is also calling for locals to be given priority in recruitment. He believes recruitment in the mining sector lacks transparency, leading to corruption. “If locals are prioritised, it will reduce corruption and ensure fairness,” he says.