Organised Labour Issues Ultimatum to government over Galamsey

Sep 19, 2024 - 01:49

Accra, Ghana - Organised Labour, led by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), is demanding an immediate halt to mining activities in forest reserves, creation of special courts to prosecute galamsey operators, and deployment of military forces to remove and destroy equipment in affected areas.

Organised Labour has reaffirmed its commitment to ending illegal mining activities, known as galamsey, across the country.

This resolve comes after their meeting with the Presidential inter-ministerial committee on September 17, 2024, tasked with engaging stakeholders to combat the devastating effects of galamsey.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Joshua Ansah, Secretary General of Organised Labour, noted, “Given the dire nature of the threat we face, Organised Labour made additional demands to its initial demands as follows: 1. Revocation of Forest (Cessation of Forest Reserve) (Amendment) Instrument, 2023 (Ε.Ι. 234) 2. All political parties to sign a pact on banning galamsey.”

“While the Government team accepted these proposals from Organised Labour, it requested additional time to engage other stakeholders to enable it to develop a comprehensive roadmap towards addressing the galamsey menace. This would also enable the Government to respond to the specific demands of Organised Labour in a week," the statement read.

Find the full statement below