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Organised Labour says its indefinite nationwide strike slated for Thursday to demand a declaration of state of emergency on illegal mining (galamsey) and other actions, remains unchanged.
This follows what it described as unsatisfactory outcome of a meeting between labour unions and the government on their demands, last Thursday, two days after the declaration of the strike action.
The Secretary General of the Trade Union Congress (TUC Ghana), Joshua Ansah, disclosed this to journalists yesterday in Accra, after labour unions met to discuss the outcome of the meeting with the government.
“Our strike notice remains unchanged, we are of the view that what the government proposed to do does not address our demands and, therefore, our notice remains unchanged,” he said.
Asked for details about what transpired at the meeting between organised labour and the government, Mr Ansah said the government promised to collaborate with organised labour and other stakeholders to fight galamsey.
He said the government said steps would be taken to revoke the Environmental Protection, Desert Mining and Forest Reserve Regulation 2023 (LI 2462), when Parliament reconvenes this month.
“Again, the government will ramp up its enforcement measures, particularly those which relate to prohibiting the mining in water bodies and forest areas.
“The government promised that, the Attorney General will collaborate with the Chief Justice to set up courts dedicated to dealing with prosecution of illegal mining. Then the Attorney General will again collaborate with the Chief Justice to ensure swift adjudication of illegal mining,” he said.
Additionally, Mr Ansah said the government supported the call for all presidential candidates for the upcoming election to sign a pact committing to the fight against illegal mining, and reiterated its commitment to the fight against illegal mining with a call on all stakeholders to join the fight.
Asked if the President asked for more time, he said “The President has never requested for any time. When I hear the President saying that, I don’t know where that statement is coming from. The President had discussions with us and this is the outcome.
“He did not request for even a day. He only discussed the issue with us and directed that these demands or these steps that the government is going to be taking should be written to us. That has been done correctly.”
It is recalled that Organised Labour on October 1 announced an indefinite nationwide strike, effective October 10, to exert pressure on the government to take decisive actions on the increasing spate of galamsey.
The decision, taken at an emergency meeting by the unions in Accra followed the government’s failure to meet a set of demands to clamp down on galamsey by September 30, 2024 which expired last Monday.
“We are therefore calling on all workers to stay home starting Thursday, October 10, 2024 until the government accede to our demands,” said a statement co-signed by the Secretary General of the TUC Ghana, Mr Joshua Ansah; the Chairman of Forum, Dr Isaac Bampoe Addo, and Deputy Secretary of the Ghana Federation of Labour, Kenneth Koomson.
BY ANITA NYARKO-YIRENKYI
