Organised Labour will meet on Tuesday, October 1, to decide on the next steps for their planned nationwide protest against the government’s handling of illegal mining, commonly called galamsey.
The unions are calling for decisive action, expressing dissatisfaction with the government’s silence in addressing the environmental destruction caused by illegal mining activities.
Several unions and associations had earlier indicated their intent to stage protests if the president did not declare a state of emergency to tackle the ongoing destruction of water bodies and forest reserves by illegal miners by the end of September.
Their frustration stems from the lack of urgent government intervention in combating the crisis.
In an interview with Citi FM on Sunday, September 29, the General Secretary of the Ghana Mine Workers Union, Abdul Moomin Gbana, reiterated the unions’ concerns and emphasized that Tuesday’s meeting would be critical in determining the way forward.
He explained that the meeting would focus on finalising decisions regarding the planned protests.
Gbana noted that Organised Labour remains committed to safeguarding the environment and ensuring that the government takes stronger action to stop illegal mining, which continues to pose a serious threat to the country’s natural resources.
The unions hope the protest will force the government to prioritize the fight against galamsey.
The leadership of Organized Labour, after the notice that we sent and the demands that we put forward, we have agreed that we will meet hopefully on Tuesday, the 1st of October, to review all that has happened over the period and then consolidate our position on the way forward.”
“I don’t think that organised labour in any way will deviate from our original plan. Our original plan holds. Hopefully, on Tuesday, I want to believe that it will be an endorsement of the plan that we put forward and, indeed, the demands that we have made on the president.”