The Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL) has kicked against a decision by a section of the Organised Labour to meet all political parties on their policies on how to curb illegal small scale mining.
Organised Labour has been urging President Nana Akufo-Addo to declare a state of emergency on illegal mining and implement long-term solutions to combat the menace.
The workers have threatened to strike on October 10,2024 due to Government’s failure to tackle illegal mining also known as galamsey.
The Secretary-General of GFL, Mr Abraham Koomson, who spoke to Power Kasiebo on TV XYZ after an Organised Labour meeting indicated that some members of the organisation were dragging their feet ahead of the scheduled strike.
“Some of our members said we should rather meet all political parties to know how they intend to tackle illegal mining (galamsey) in the country.
“It doesn’t make sense for us to meet political parties to know what they are doing to solve galamsey when we have a president who can stop it,” Mr Koomson told Oheneba Boamah Bennie.
According to him, the advertised strike action is the only action that will get President Akufo-Addo to act decisively to stop galamsey.
Opposition
Mr Koomson’s concerns come after some factions, particularly from the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG) and other groups, claim they were not consulted before the announcement of the strike.
A faction, identifying themselves as “Concerned Members of Organised Labour,” has voiced opposition to how the strike decision was communicated.
Although they support the fight against galamsey, they believe the leadership’s approach to declaring the strike was improper.
The group is calling on Organised Labour’s leadership to suspend the strike and engage in further dialogue with the government
But the GFL disagrees with the position of these members of Organised Labour.
“The impact of illegal mining is deadly and I think the strike action must happen,” Koomson stated. “If Organised Labour fails to strike, nobody will take us seriously.’
At the meeting today, the group expressed dissatisfaction with President Akufo-Addo’s response to their demands, despite his reaffirmed commitment to addressing the illegal mining issue.
Speaking to the media on Monday, October 7, the Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Joshua Ansah, reiterated the union’s determination to go ahead with the strike unless significant action is taken by the government before the ultimatum.
On his part, Mr Abraham Koomson said the GFL is ready for the strike on October 10 to force the government to halt all forms of small scale mining in the country to save the country’s forest reserves and river bodies.
Source: Myxyzonline.com
