Membership audit at AngloGold vindicates Tanzanian union

Management at Geita Gold Mine owned by AngloGold has disputed the membership figures of Tanzania Mines, Energy, Construction and Allied Workers Union (Tamico), leading to a protracted struggle since 2004 at a branch level for recognition and resulted in the dismissal of the branch chairman and secretary. Through the intervention of IndustriALL Global Union, who has a Global Framework Agreement (GFA) with AngloGold, the two were reinstated and AngloGold agreed to resolve labour relations issues at the mine.

Using the GFA, IndustriALL was able to argue that Geita management was violating the clause on trade union rights through union bashing and victimisation of members that were put under pressure to resign from the union. The GFA supported Tamico to gain credibility amongst workers to champion their issues and gain recognition.

AngloGold Ashanti engaged Ernst & Young to conduct the membership audit, which concluded that over 50 per cent of 1,525 employees at the mine are Tamico members thus the union meets the legal requirement to represent all workers in negotiating with management over salaries and working conditions.

“The Ernst & Young audit report vindicates Tamico’s  long battle and signals a new era of worker representation and access with full organisational rights,” says Kenny Mogane, regional project officer for IndustriALL. “This means that Tamico can now work towards the improvement of working conditions at Geita.”