Organised Labour Threatens To Shutdown Country Over Galamsey, Gives Government Ultimatum
- Organised Labour has threatened a nationwide strike if decisive action is not taken to address the illegal mining crisis
- The Trades Union Congress has demanded a state of emergency in all areas affected by illegal mining
- There has been renewed pressure on the government to stem the effects of illegal mining in Ghana
Organised Labour has threatened a nationwide strike by the end of September if the government does not take decisive action against illegal mining, also known as galamsey.
The Trades Union Congress wants a state of emergency in all areas affected by illegal mining.
Source: Getty Images
Organised labour also demanded a halt to mining activities in forest reserves. It recently forced the government to halt the sale of some Social Security and National Insurance Insurance Trust (SSNIT) hotels to Rock City Hotel, owned by Agriculture Minister Bryan Acheampong.
"It is now clear to us as it is to all well-meaning Ghanaians that the menace of galamsey has reached a crisis proportion."
PAY ATTENTION: All celebrity news in one place! Follow YEN's Facebook Broadcast channel and read on the go.
This call by organised labour adds renewed pressure on the government to take immediate and effective action against illegal mining.
For example, the University Teachers Association of Ghana urged the government to ban mining and prospecting in forest reserves, farms and rivers.
It has warned that its members will strike if the government does not heed their demands.
Illegal mining has led to 60% of the country’s rivers have been poisoned.
There have also been increasing reports of the dire health implications and congenital defects associated with exposure to pollutants like mercury, arsenic and lead.
NAPO dismisses lethal approach to fighting galamsey
YEN.com.gh reported that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) running mate, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, dismissed calls for lethal action on people engaged in illegal mining.
In a video that went viral, NAPO said the opposition National Democratic Congress is being hypocritical about its stance on galamsey.
He said their support for a shoot-and-kill tactic to end galamsey was inhumane and inappropriate and ran contrary to earlier promises they made to mining communities to free galamsey miners who the ruling government had arrested.
Proofread by Berlinda Entsie, journalist and copy editor at YEN.com.gh
PAY ATTENTION: Stay informed and follow us on Google News!
Source: YEN.com.gh
