-Amid Internal Divisions
The fight against illegal mining will take a significant turn as Organised Labour meets to decide whether to continue with the intended nationwide strike or back down.
After declaring the nationwide strike on Tuesday, October 1st following the inactivity of the government to heed their demands within the grace period, this new meeting has become necessary following the leadership of Organised Labour’s meeting with President Akufo-Addo on Thursday, October 4, 2024.
Investigations by The High Street Journal reveal that President Akufo-Addo at the meeting acceded to some of the demands of Organised Labour while others were rejected.
President Akufo-Addo rejected the request to declare a state of emergency but expressed willingness to amend the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations, 2022 (L.I. 2462), to enhance efforts in combating illegal mining.
Additonally, the President has recommended to the Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Gertrude Torkonoo to establish specialized courts to expedite the prosecution of suspected galamsey offenders.
After the meeting, The High Street Journal is further learning that the leadership of the labour front is reconsidering its plan to embark on mass industrial action on Thursday, October 10, 2024.
The fate of the strike, which will be very crucial for the fight against the galamsey menace, will be determined today at a crunch meeting by organised labour.
It is expected to be a heated meeting as some labour groups within the union have already served notice that it will embark on the strike action irrespective of the outcome of the meeting with the Presidency.
These groups say, they will not accept the plea by the President to suspend the strike and hence any decision by Organised Labour to suspend the industrial action will lead to serious division within the labour front. One such group is the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT).
The General Secretary, Thomas Musah says GNAT has resolved to ensure their intended strike action against illegal and irresponsible mining comes off on October 10 as declared irrespective of the President’s pleas.
“What’s the definition of more time, with the people dying, what will happen to them? It is for us to make a decision, it is between life and death. Organised Labour, we have all agreed and that is what GNAT is standing by, we agree that there should be a state of emergency on illegal mining. [We still stand by] the decision of Organised Labour on the protest,” he said.
Aside from the internal divisions, there is also the pressure from Civil Society Groups (CSOs) calling on Organised Labour not to back down on its earlier decision.
President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe believes it will be unwise for the labour front to cancel the strike action in the face of what he describes as “state-sponsored illegal mining.”
In a post on Facebook, he sharply wrote, “Organised labour will be very foolish to call off the nationwide strike against state-sponsored illegal mining.”
With the turn of events and the heightened calls for the menace to be drastically dealt with, the decision by Organised Labour today will have far-reaching consequences on the efforts to fight galamsey.
