Organised Labour has confirmed its nationwide strike will proceed on Thursday, October 10, 2024.
The union expressed disappointment over President Akufo-Addo’s response, stating that despite his renewed pledge to tackle illegal mining, their demands had not been fully addressed.
The group has been pressing the president to declare a state of emergency on illegal mining and introduce long-term solutions to curb the issue.
Speaking on Monday, October 7, the Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Joshua Ansah, made it clear that unless the government takes significant measures before the deadline, the strike will go ahead as planned.
“As it stands, our strike remains unchanged,” he emphasized.
He continued by saying, “The government’s proposals do not satisfactorily meet our demands, and thus, our planned strike action will proceed.”
Meanwhile, discontent has arisen within Organised Labour, with groups like the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG) and others claiming they were left out of consultations regarding the strike.
A group calling themselves the “Concerned Members of Organised Labour” criticized how the strike was announced. They support efforts against illegal mining but argue the leadership did not properly communicate the decision.
This faction has urged the leadership to halt the strike and engage in further dialogue with the government.
Dr. Solomon Fokuo, a TUTAG member, expressed his concerns during an interview in Kumasi, noting that if the leadership had shown the same commitment to members’ welfare as they had in calling for the strike, the situation could have been managed better.
“We are all opposed to illegal mining, and we want the government to stop the destruction of our waterbodies and environment through lawful means. But the primary issue is what Organised Labour is advocating.
“They have declared a strike on October 10, but we were not consulted or informed.
“We have not been involved in any of their activities and are unaware of what is driving their actions. If they had used the same energy to advocate for our welfare, things could have been much improved.”
