Presidency expresses surprise at Organised Labour’s U-turn on galamsey-related strike

The Presidency has expressed surprise at what it describes as a sudden U-turn by Organised Labour regarding their decision to proceed with a strike action over illegal mining (galamsey) activities.

In a statement released on Monday, October 7, Information Minister Fatimatu Abubakar voiced shock at Organised Labour’s insistence on moving forward with the strike, despite the government’s commitment to tackling the issue of illegal mining.

In a previous statement, following President Akufo-Addo’s meeting with the leadership of Organised Labour, the Information Minister revealed that the President had appealed to them to delay the strike action, citing the government’s ongoing efforts to address the matter.

However, at a press conference on Monday, Organised Labour stated that the President did not adequately address their concerns during the meeting, including their demand for a declaration of a state of emergency due to the impact of galamsey activities.

Responding to this, the Information Minister reiterated that the President and Organised Labour had agreed on key terms during the meeting. These included the government’s commitment to revoke the Environmental Protection Regulation, 2023 (LI 2462), which concerns mining in forest reserves, enhanced enforcement of illegal mining laws, the speedy trial of illegal mining cases, and securing commitments from presidential aspirants to sign a pact to combat galamsey.

The statement emphasised the government’s surprise at the latest move by Organised Labour.

“Government is surprised by the decision of Organised Labour to proceed with industrial action from October 10th,” the statement read. However, it added that the government “will continue to engage Organised Labour and other stakeholders in constructive dialogue to find a solution to this national menace.”

The decision by Organised Labour comes amid growing calls from civil society organisations (CSOs) and religious groups for urgent action against the devastating effects of galamsey.