The University Teachers Association of Ghana chapter of the University of Ghana (UG-UTAG) says its supports the nationwide strike by Organised Labour set for October 10, 2024, in protest against illegal mining in the country.
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 of indiscriminate plowing of forest reserves for gold.
The workers have threatened to strike on October 10,2024 due to the Government’s failure to tackle illegal mining also known as galamsey.
At the end of the voting process on Tuesday, 355 members (80.14%) supported the strike, while 88 members (19.86%) opposed it, out of a total of 443 votes cast.
Professor Ransford Gyampo, President of UG-UTAG, in an interview on Accra-based Citi FM strongly criticised the government’s inaction, citing the need for more decisive measures to combat illegal mining.
His comments follow a closed-door meeting between President Akufo-Addo and Organised Labour leaders, where the President requested more time to address the issue.
At the meeting held last Thursday, 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.
GMA Chickens Out
Ahead of the industrial action by Organised labour, the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) announced that its members will continue to work despite the strike scheduled for tomorrow.
The Association’s President, Dr. Frank Serebour, in a statement on Tuesday gave a directive for GMA members to continue working despite a nationwide strike by Organised Labour.
However that has been met with harsh criticisms from some leading members of the Association which was part of a group of health professionals across the country that called on President Akufo-Addo last month to swiftly enforce a ban on all small-scale mining operations in the country.
The group comprised the Government and Hospital Pharmacists Association (GHOSPA), the Health Services Workers Union of Ghana – TUC, the Medical Laboratory Professional Workers’ Union (MELPWU), the Mortuary Workers’ Association of Ghana (MOWAG), the Ghana Association of Certified Registered Anesthetists (GACRA), the Health Accounting Staff Association (HASAG), and Ghana Physician Assistants Association (GPAA).
Their concerns hinged on the severe health risks linked to galamsey. The group stressed that the unchecked mining practices pose significant threats to the well-being of communities, necessitating an immediate and direct ban.
By taking decisive action, they said the government can help mitigate the harmful health effects and protect the health and safety of citizens in the areas where lands are plowed indiscriminately for gold.
Parts of a joint statement by the group of professionals stated ,”The rise in cases of respiratory illnesses, skin infections, and waterborne diseases such as cholera and diarrhea in these communities is a direct consequence of the unchecked mining activities.
“We are witnessing an ecological disaster with direct implications for human health, and this must be addressed with urgency,” the group warned.
It is for this reason that a formal petition has been filed by a member of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Dr. Vishnu Nene Limon Abayateye, calling for the removal of Dr. Frank Serebour.
In the petition, which is set to be addressed at the GMA’s annual general assembly meeting in Ho in November, Dr. Abayateye criticised Dr. Serebour for allegedly acting unilaterally in issuing a statement that the GMA would not participate in the strike.
He stated that the Associatiomn’s president gave the directive without consulting the National Executive Council or the general assembly.
“This is in obvious contravention of article 16 of the GMA constitution,” Dr. Abayateye wrote, emphasising that the president’s actions were not representative of the broader membership’s views.
Source: Myxyzonline.com
