By,: tntnewspapergh.com

The leadership and the members of Organised Labour have been called upon to rescind their intended decision to begin a nationwide strike action against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

The convenor of political parties office holders in the Ashanti Region, Issah Abdul Salam, who is also the Ashanti Regional Secretary of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), made the call on Wednesday, 9th October 2024, at a press conference held at Noks Hotel in Kumasi.

Issah Abdul Salam addressing  Journalists at the press conference

The political parties office holders, therefore, proposed the following for the consideration of Organised Labour to enable the country to overcome the galamsey menace:

Full statement attached below:

For immediate release:

RECONSIDER STRIKE ACTION AS THAT WILL NOT RESOLVE THE GALAMSEY ISSUE

We, holding offices, in respective of political parties in the Ashanti Region would like to appeal to Organised labour to rescind their decision of embarking on strike, beginning tomorrow 10th October 2024.

We believe that the negative effects of the strike will be on not just those engaged in illegal mining but also on all Ghanaians. While we are in support of fighting galamsey and actively call for a collective action from all Ghanaians to deal with the issue, we believe that ordinary Ghanaians shouldn’t be made to suffer as a result of fighting galamsey.

We are proposing the following for the consideration of Organised Labour to enable us to overcome the galamsey menace in Ghana:

1. That Organised Labour should make an anti-galamsey pact for all the political parties to sign which guide the country towards fighting galamsey. This will help us cure the negative politicisation that characterises the fight.

2. All relevant stakeholders, including residents of the community and their chiefs, to understand the dangers involved in doing galamsey.

3. All licences issuance should be withheld. Those who have abused their licences should also be revoked.

4. Government should dispatch military to all affected galamsey areas to stop further illegal mining. They should be working with legitimate small-scale miners.

5. Revocation of LI 2462 should be sent to Parliament for it to be treated under certificate of urgency.

We hope all the above proposals should be given the necessary consideration.

Thank you.

The political parties office holders present at the press conference were;Robert Dambo -PNC
CROSBY Charles ARMAH -UPP,
BABA ISSAH KAMPO. PPP,
KOFI OWUSU UMAR.,- GCPP,
ADAMS MOHAMMED- PNC,
KASIM SASIAGO-APC0 as well as
KWAKU MARFO AKPOLO -LPG