– Min Scott warns youngsters aspiring to land jobs in ‘gold-bush’

MINERS, particularly those in Indigenous communities, are being urged to beware of unscrupulous employers and ensure they sign a contact before taking jobs in the goldfields, so as their rights cannot be violated.

“If you have a contract and you do the work and don’t get paid, then we at the Labour Ministry will go after those attempting to rob you, and we can take them to court or take other necessary actions,” said Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott in response to Toshaos who raised concerns about residents in their respective communities not receiving their salaries for work done in the mining industry.

Toshaos said many residents in Indigenous communities are not receiving their salaries despite working for months with local dredge owners at their mining camps.
One toshao even admitted working with a certain mining camp without a contract for a number of years, but was lucky to have been compensated, unlike many of his colleagues who never got paid and couldn’t do a thing about it.

Many youths, whether they finish school or not, are wont to go in search of jobs in the “gold bush”, only to be cheated by the owners of those operations, simply because they never thought of asking about a contract.

The minister believes that a solution to this quandary is to ensure that those going in search of jobs in the mining industry sign a contract before they proceed with any work related to that field.

Said he: “Before you work, you need to have a contract signed.” He said that once workers have a legally binding agreement with their employers, he would then be able to provide them adequate representation.

While he expects miners to do their part, he promised that the ministry will dispatch staff to conduct further investigations in local mining camps.
Minister Scott also urged dredge owners to ensure that they provide a contract for employees to sign; a contract that guarantees payment.