- They are claiming around 8 billion FCFA of rights
- Hopes rest on the sale of the mine to Afro Turc
At a general meeting on 20 May 2023, former workers of Belahouro Mining Company (Société des Mines de Belahouro, SMB), which operated the Inata site, called on the government to look into the legal dispute between them and their former employer. The workers argued that they had submitted a request to the competent authorities for the settlement of their rights, estimated at more than 8 billion FCFA, in accordance with a court ruling in their favour following their dismissal. As a reminder, on 1 December 2020, the Ouagadougou Court of Appeal ruled in favour of the former Inata workers. The Court ordered the company to pay nearly 7.5 billion FCFA to the former workers in the form of rights, seniority bonuses and overtime. The Ouagadougou Court of Appeal upheld the Labour Court’s verdict on 16 October 2019.
The former workers of the Inata mine are counting on the transfer of the State’s assets at the Inata mine to the Afro Turk group. The transfer was agreed by the government on 1 March 2023. “We were in discussions with the liquidator, who reassured us (…) that if the transfer went ahead, the workers’ rights would inevitably be paid out”, said Maitre Bouba Yaguibou, lawyer for the former mine workers.
According to the lawyer, “some have had their houses repossessed by the banks, while others are in distressed family situations”.
He also stressed that he was confident about the future of the project: “We believe that our government cannot remain insensitive, and that once it has handed over the mine, it will surely proceed to settle the workers’ rights”.
As a reminder, on 04 May 2017, 443 workers at the Inata mine were placed on short-time working by their employer, SMB. Faced with this situation, the employees retained the services of a law firm to defend their rights. Last April, they sent a letter to the State through the Agence Judiciaire de l’Etat (AJE) and are still awaiting a response.
Summary by Rachid Ouedraogo
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