Organised Labour rescinds galamsey strike - Govt acts on concerns

Organised Labour yesterday made a dramatic U-turn on an advertised nationwide strike, as it suspended the planned industrial action over illegal mining.

The strike, intended to have started today was to impress on the government to take immediate and drastic actions to stop the wanton destruction of the environment, including the pollution of water bodies, in the name of small-scale mining, and revocation of the Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462, which allows mining in forest reserves.

Moments before the intended strike was called off, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo reaffirmed his commitment to the fight against illegal mining by directing the deployment of additional military forces to intensify the ongoing "Operation Halt" to curb illegal mining activities.

The operation would be bolstered by the deployment of naval boats on polluted rivers to ensure the immediate cessation of all mining activities, be it legal or illegal, and in and around the water bodies.

The President also instructed the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, along with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to suspend the enforcement of the

Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations, 2023 (L.I. 2462), with immediate effect.

To strengthen the prosecution of illegal mining cases, the President stated that four dedicated courts had already been established.

“The President has further directed the Attorney-General to work with the Chief Justice to increase the number of courts handling cases related to illegal mining,” the President’s Director of Communications, Eugene Arhin, said in a communique.

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However, President Akufo-Addo urged Organised Labour to encourage all presidential candidates and their political parties to sign a pact, committing themselves to the fight against illegal mining as part of their election pledges.

“President Akufo-Addo remains determined to end illegal mining, and calls on all citizens, political leaders and stakeholders to unite in this critical national effort,” he said in the communique.

Labour responds

At a news conference in Accra yesterday, Organised Labour said it had taken into consideration the effort by government to address concerns raised by labour unions in relation to the illegal mining menace, commonly called “galamsey” in local circles.

Indeed, government last Monday announced a raft of measures, including a presidential order to deploy the military to ward off miners from rivers, forest reserves and other environmentally inappropriate areas.

The measures also included specific onslaught on illegal miners, who are considered the biggest danger to the wreckage being visited on the environment and the entire ecosystem.

The Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Joshua Ansah, briefing the media, said the decision followed assurances from the government in relation to efforts to tackle galamsey and other environmentally destructive mining activities in the country.

He said Organised Labour had taken notice of government’s effort to ramp up military action to contain mining activities in forest reserves and water bodies following a meeting with the government, led by the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah.

“Following this meeting, government offered enhanced and time-bound measures in respect of our demands and the fight against illegal mining,” Mr Ansah said.

 The measures, he said, included the revocation of the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations, 2022 (L.1.2462), with the President directing the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources to submit a memorandum for the revocation of the L.I. to Parliament when it reconvenes on Tuesday, October 15, 2024.

Mr Ansah said the labour unions would continue to monitor the situation in order to win the war against environmental degradation, and stressed its commitment to protect workers’ rights.

Subsequent to the media briefing, the various labour unions issued statements to their members about the decision.

Divided front

Until the late cancellation of the advertised strike, Organised Labour appeared sharply divided on the matter.

While some of the labour unions and trade associations directed their members to proceed with the intended industrial action, others asked their members to remain at post and continue to deliver services to the public.

Some of the notable unions ready to proceed with the strike were the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU), Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU), Public Service Workers’ Union (PSWU), Public Utilities Workers Union (PUWU), and Teachers and Educational Workers' Union (TEWU), while various campuses of UTAG voted in support of the industrial action.

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA), the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives’ Association (GRNMA) and the Concerned Members of Organised Labour in the Ashanti Region backed down although they announced their separate support for the fight against galamsey.

Trade associations such as the Ghana Employers’ Association (GEA) and owners and management of businesses in the country also called on Organised Labour to suspend the strike and to further engage government on the issue.

The Chief Executive Officer of GEA, Alex Frimpong, in an interview with the media on the sidelines of the annual occupational safety and health conference in Accra, appealed to Organised Labour to tamper with the strike decision.

“We have had a series of discussions with policymakers, drawing attention to the negative impact the galamsey menace is having on the environment and its social consequences.

“And so, employers have not been silent on the negative impact of illegal mining. We believe that the issues being raised by Organised Labour are important, but they

need to go back to dialogue with the government and other relevant stakeholders,” he said.

He said a nationwide strike would have far-reaching consequences for businesses and the economy as a whole.

He said strikes often disrupted the normal flow of operations, causing businesses to lose revenue and momentum.

Employees warned

The Managing Director of GIHOC Distilleries, Maxwell Kofi Jumah, in a viral video, warned employees against joining the supposed industrial action.

He said the issues prompting the strike were national concerns, and that did not directly affect GIHOC.

He expressed his strong opposition to the protest because it did not align with the company’s regulations, and that he would not support any staff involvement.

"If you like, don't report to work. Anyone who joins them will be sacked. I am saying this on authority. There are labour laws in the country. Let the issue be a national concern, not GIHOC’s own," the MD added.

The GMA in a statement to its members, signed by its President, Dr Frank Serebour, stated that it had not declared a roadmap for an industrial action.

GRNMA’s position

At the same media briefing addressed by Organised Labour, the President of the GRNMA, Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, and General Secretary, Dr David Tenkorang-Twum, stated in separate speeches that the association would not embark on the strike, and directed all nurses and midwives to stay at post and to continue delivering safe and quality health service to Ghanaians.

They said the decision followed an emergency meeting held by the GRNMA National Council last Tuesday.

“The GRNMA solidarises with member trade unions and associations under the Organised Labour in the fight against galamsey, and will continue to advocate stronger national interventions to curtail the menace,” Ms Ofori-Ampofo stressed.