General Secretary of the Trade Union Congress, Joshua Ansah says, if the President does not heed to their calls, they would embark on series of nationwide strikes and demonstrations.
The Organized Labour in a press conference on Tuesday 11th September, 2024 called for an immediate action from President Akuffo- Addo to as a matter to urgency declare a State of Emergency on small scale mining in the country.
“Organised Labour has followed the ongoing spirited public discussions on illegal mining (Galamsey) and its consequential destruction of our forest cover, water bodies and ecology, health hazards severe health risk posed to communities living near galamsey sites, such as exposure to toxic chemicals like mercury and cyanide, including increase in respiratory and waterborne diseases due to polluted air and water, among other negative impacts”.
According to the statement, the activities of illegal miners has reached a crisis proportion, which is causing the depletion of the forest reserves, and the destruction of the water bodies is at an unprecedented scale.
The statement further stated that “in line with the provisions of the 1992 Constitution (Articles 31 and 31(4).
The declaration must incorporate the following:
a) an order to halt to all forms of mining (legal or illegal) in forest reserves and around water bodies.
b) Immediate evacuation of all mining equipment in forest reserves and around water bodies.
c) The deployment of the Police and the Military with full orders to remove/destroy all mining equipment and other earth moving equipment around river bodies and in the forest reserves.”