The Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL) has raised alarm over the government’s apparent lack of commitment to tackling illegal mining, commonly referred to as galamsey.
Kenneth Koomson, Deputy General Secretary of the GFL, expressed his concerns during an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show on Citi FM on Monday, September 30. He stated that the government’s attitude and actions indicate a serious lack of dedication to addressing the issue.
Koomson pointed to the silence of President Akufo-Addo and his appointees as a major factor influencing Organised Labour’s decision to protest.
He noted that the GFL, alongside other unions and associations, feels compelled to take action after previously warning on September 17 about the government’s inaction regarding the galamsey crisis.
“We have no option but to resort to industrial action. The constitution clearly outlines the circumstances under which the president is required to declare a state of emergency.
We are all aware of the pollution of our water bodies and the destruction of our forest reserves, yet we have seen no decisive action from the government,” Mr. Koomson told host Bernard Avle.
He also mentioned that federation members were assured that efforts were being made to address all their demands.
“Personally, I think the conduct, behaviour, and action of the government, doesn’t give any form of indication that the government is committed to stopping the menace.
“On September 17, when we met with the inter-ministerial committee, the government admitted unequivocally that the issue had gone out of hand and that the demands that we made as an Organised Labour, government was going to look at it. What they also assured us was that they were unable to take immediate action because other CSOs had some demands and they needed to meet all of them.”
