By Mohamed Dauda Kamara
In Tongo, over 200 hundred mine workers have gone at least 10 months without payment of their salaries by the Sierra Diamonds Limited, leading to a resurgence of a protest at the entrance of the companyโs gate.
In the early hours of Monday in March 2025, Mine workers trooped the entrance of the companyโs gate, holding vanguards and demanding for their salaries, setting ablaze tyres.
With smoke fuming in the air, desperate mine workers could no longer put up with the injustice. Many say they are not afraid of risking their lives for their well-earned salaries.
Miners, all dressed in lemonade-stripped flashers, desperately led a protest in a mood that appeared to be more effective than the previous protest in November, 2024. Miners, speaking in frustrated tones, flooded the companyโs site, without vandalizing or causing any damage.
Mine workers, most of whom are natives of Tongo, said that the company has not been paying them for at least ten months now, shutting down operations with no substantial reason.
According to the mine workers, they have been on a sit-at-home strike, demanding payment of their salaries since last year.
they said that they barely feed themselves due to the crisis; and that most families are falling part, leading to chaos in homes between husband and wives and children dropping out of schools because their parents could not afford to send them back to school.
Miners say that the company had shut down operations indefinitely, abandoning the site and leaving them to act as securities at the expense of their well-being.
The Head of the mine workers, Messie Senesie Ngiehun, said they had negotiations with the Human Resource manager of the company in a meeting in early November, 2024, agreeing to pay their salaries in seventeen days. But the company did not meet its own side of the negotiation.
In January 2025, miners said that the Minister of Labour, Mohamed Rado Swarray, had negotiations with them and promised to resolve the issue. But Miners said he has not got back to them.
Tongo, the second largest town in Kenema District, is among the worldโs finest producers of diamonds, yet beneath its glittering beautiful stones lies poverty amidst wealth.
Tongo is 27 miles away from Kenema City, but its only motorable road is decorated in red dust, mud, and potholes, making it difficult for vehicles and motorcycles to ply through.
What are the Economic Implications of the crisis on Mine workers?
Over 200 hundred mine workers are currently out of jobs with no salaries, pension, allowances and bonuses from Sierra Diamonds Limited for 10 months, leading to dire economic woes among mine workers in Tongo. Out of a family of ten, one is a mine worker in Tongo, fending for the family. But with the crisis, miners struggle to provide for their families, leading to starvation, hardship, and destitution
Alpha Swarray Lavalie, a mine worker, who has been working at the company for seven years said the crisis has had a profound toil on their families, leading to separations. Alpha has four kids, but with the crisis, his kids have dropped out of school.
โRight now, my wife is angry with me because she thinks the company is paying me and Iโm not providing for the family. She has left me for Kenema. I live here alone. My kids have dropped out of college because I cannot provide for them,โ she said.
Alpha is an underground miner for the company, and he says they are not given insurance for risking their lives, and they labour manually for the company without any protection or regard for their well-being.
Messie Ngeihun, also described the economic implication of the crisis, saying that some of her colleagues are dying with depression.
She said marriages are broken, some are almost in destitution as landlords are asking her colleagues out of their homes.
โWe are suffering. Itโs four months now they (Sierra Diamonds Limited) have not pay my medical allowance, I struggle to take my kids to the hospital when they are sick. ย We want our leave allowances, and our bonuses, which they promised us,โ she lamented.
Saffiea Gbomoh, one of the underground miners at the company, who was upgraded from security post, said that they are being maltreated by the company; and that the economic implication of the crisis has affected his livelihoods and families. Saffiea is a father of 8 children, and 4 of his children are currently not going to school due to the crisis.
โMy salary is not even close to 2,000 NLe ever since I started working for the company. For seven years now, my salary is the still the same, with no medical allowance,โ he said.
Most of the mine workers have been dependent on the monthly salaries that they are paid by the company, but the crisis has dashed out their โonly source of income, and left them in financial ruins.
What has the Government Done?
According to facts presented by miners, the government has not taken any bold step to address their issue since January, 2025 when it was made public. ย Miners said that Minister of Labour Mohamed Rado Swarray, promised to resolve the issue, but he has yet to. ย Aggrieved miners claimed that โthe minister had lied them.โ
Miners are now taking the โbull by the hornโ since the government has not taken any action against the company.
Messie Ngeihun pleaded with the President Julius Maada Bio to take action and address their issues since the minister has failed them.
Miners accused the Minister of Labour not addressing the issue objectively by bringing Sierra Leone Diamond Limited to table for negotiation with the workers.
In a video presented to this medium, Minister Swarray could be see promising to addressing the scourge.
โI will be go Freetown, and I will address the issue. I will be back soon to you,โ he said.
In Tongo, traditional leaders, who make up the government, collect yearly shares from the company as part of the mining agreement between the company and the government.
However, these traditional leaders have not been able to bring the company to table and resolve the crisis.
There are also no trade union association in Tongo to foster the affairs of the workers as required by the countryโs Employment Act of 2023.ย
How has the Sierra Diamonds Ltd. violated Labour Rights and Exploited workers in Tongo?
Based on interviews with Miners, Miners have accused the company of violating their rights and the Employment Act of 2023.
Miners workers say that they have been working since the end of 2023, and there were fluctuations in the payment of their salaries.
Many asserted that the company has been exploiting them through hard labour, abusing their labour rights to fair treatment and remuneration.
Swarray Balayma, a mine worker said, โWe are not happy. They are taking advantage of us. Our rights are violated, and the company is not making moves to pay our salaries.โ
The Employment Act of 2023 also makes a provision for the Commissioner of Labour to implement the Act and address labour disputes, but this remains unimplemented in Tongo, and miners are now at the detriments of it.
Why has the Company not paid workers?
Investigations carried by this medium has uncovered that the High Court of Sierra Leone has sent a letter to the company, claiming that the Sierra Diamonds Ltd owes Freetown Supermarket with an undisclosed amount. But facts have revealed that the High Court has ordered Freetown Supermarket to seize the companyโs property in Tongo.
Mine workers said that the company has not gone bankrupt, but an evidence surfaced that Sierra Diamonds Ltd has ceased operations because another company will replace them.
With all these, the company has not debunked the allegations.
