The government is set to roll out a six-point action plan in line with the fight against galamsey. This is contained in an undated letter by the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Mr Ignatius Baffuor Awuah to the Trades Union Congress (TUC) sighted by 3news. Parts of the letter, which was purportedly written after the meeting between President Akufo-Addo and members of Organised Labour read as follows:
- That government will collaborate with Organized Labour and other stakeholders in the fight against illegal mining.
- That government will take steps when Parliament reconvenes this month to revoke the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations, 2023 (LI 2462).
- The government would ramp up its enforcement measures, particularly as it relates to prohibiting illegal mining in water bodies and forest reserves.
- The Attorney General will collaborate with the Chief Justice to set up courts dedicated to the prosecution of illegal mining.
- The Attorney General will collaborate with the Chief Justice to ensure swift adjudication of illegal mining
- The government supports the call for all Presidential Candidates to sign a pact committing to the fight against illegal mining
It would be recalled that Organised Labour on October 3 declared that it would embark on a nationwide strike starting on October 10 due to the government’s failure to ban small-scale mining. They contend that illegal as well as small-scale mining are destroying farmlands and river bodies, hence the need to stop their operations.
According to Organised Labour, the ad-hoc interministerial committee set up by President Akufo-Addo to address concerns by stakeholders over galamsey failed to address their concerns, hence the nationwide wide. President Akufo-Addo met them subsequently, but the unions have refused to back down on their threat of a strike.
