Organized labour is still planning to go on strike on Thursday, October 10. This strike is in response to their demand for the government to take action against illegal mining by prohibiting all forms of mining in forest reserves, among other measures. This decision comes after a crucial meeting today to discuss the President’s request for more time to address their demands on this issue. “We believe that the government’s proposed actions do not fully address our demands, and as a result, our notice of strike remains unchanged,” stated the leadership.
On October 3, President Akufo-Addo made an appeal to Organised Labour during a meeting asking them to reconsider the strike. The president reassured the labour leaders of his administration’s commitment to tackling the environmental destruction caused by illegal mining, also known as galamsey. He expressed the need for unity in addressing this pressing national issue.
But at the meeting today, members of organised labour resolved that the government’s assurance was not enough. On the back of this, “our strike notice remains unchanged.” The demands of organised labour’s demands included declaring a state of emergency, revoking L.I. 2462, and deploying the military to forest areas and water bodies to combat illegal mining.
By: Kenneth Awotwe Darko
