UTAG Accuses Organised Labour's Leadership Of Taking Unilateral Decision To Suspend Strike

• The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) said Organised Labour did not consult any sister association when it decided to suspend the strike action
• It said the leadership of Organised Labour came to the meeting with an already prepared press release announcing the suspension of the strike
• UTAG said that was what informed their decision to disassociate themselves from Organised Labour's decision

Professor Eric Abavare said Organised Labour’s decision to suspend the nationwide strike was unilaterally taken by the union’s leadership.

The President of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology chapter of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) told Citi FM that the suspension of the strike action does not reflect the views of the union's affiliated associations.

He said the leadership of Organised Labour had failed to consult or engage with them on the matter and had merely read an already prepared speech at a meeting held on Wednesday, October 9, 2024.

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He said the situation was what had informed UTAG’s decision to disassociate itself from Organised Labour and declare its own indefinite strike to demand the government’s immediate action on the illegal mining menace.

He said UTAG still stands by its initial demands, urging the government to declare a total ban on all small-scale mining activities in the country and a state of emergency in the mining communities.

Why Organised Labour suspended the strike

The leadership of Organised Labour stated that after carefully assessing the situation and the government's actions following their threat of embarking on an industrial action, calling off the strike was the right course of action.

In a media briefing, Joshua Ansah, the Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress, explained that the unions wanted to observe the government’s implementation of measures to call off the strike.

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Government deploys over 100 soldiers to mining communities to combat galamsey

The leadership said Akufo-Addo had convinced them of its readiness to fight galamsey, hence the need to suspend the strike and monitor the government’s anti-galamsey fight.

However, some critics have not welcomed the news, alleging that the union had received financial inducements to abandon the course.

Responding to these allegations, King Ali Awudu, the Coalition of Concerned Teachers president and a key member of Organised Labour, refuted the claims, stating that they were baseless and urging Ghanaians to disregard them.

According to him, Organised Labour’s mere threat to go on an indefinite strike has pushed the government to take certain steps it would have otherwise not taken.

Government deploys soldiers to mining communities

YEN.com.gh reported that the government has deployed over 100 soldiers to mining communities in Ghana to combat illegal mining.

The soldiers are to augment the 'Operation Halt' forces already combating the many illegal mining hotspots.

Source: YEN.com.gh