Ghana: Organised labour to proceed with strike from October 10 despite presidential appeal

Organised Labour Ghana has reaffirmed its decision to begin a strike on Thursday, October 10, in response to their demands for the government to take decisive action against illegal mining.

Their call includes banning all forms of mining in forest reserves, among other measures.

This decision follows a critical meeting held on Monday to discuss President Akufo-Addo’s request for additional time to address their concerns.

However, the leadership of Organised Labour stated, “We are of the view that what the government has proposed does not adequately address our demands and therefore our notice of strike remains unchanged.”

Earlier, President Akufo-Addo appealed to Organised Labour during a meeting, urging them to reconsider the strike. He reassured the group of his administration’s commitment to combating the environmental destruction caused by illegal mining, known as galamsey, and stressed the importance of unity in addressing this national issue.

Despite the president’s assurances, Monday’s meeting concluded with Organised Labour deciding that the government’s response was insufficient. As a result, the leadership reiterated, “our strike notice remains unchanged.”

Among Organised Labour’s key demands are declaring a state of emergency, revoking L.I. 2462, and deploying the military to forest reserves and water bodies to tackle illegal mining activities.