Government says it is surprised at the decision of Organised Labour to proceed on industrial action on Thursday in protest of the ongoing illegal mining activities in the country.
This comes after a high-level meeting between President Akufo-Addo and Organised Labour last week at the Jubilee House, where key agreements were reached to combat the menace.
During the meeting, both parties acknowledged the devastating effects of illegal mining and agreed on several measures to address the issue.
These include collaboration between government, Organised Labour, and other stakeholders to tackle illegal mining, a commitment by government to revoke the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations, 2023 (L.I. 2462), intensified enforcement of laws prohibiting mining in water bodies and forest reserves, with reaffirmation that these areas will remain “Red Zones” for all forms of mining, empowering law enforcement agencies to eliminate illegal mining activities from these protected zones, and cooperation between the Attorney-General and the Chief Justice to ensure the swift adjudication of illegal mining cases.
Despite these agreements, Organised Labour has resolved to proceed with a nationwide strike to demand more decisive action from government.
A statement signed by the Minister of Information, Fatimatu Abubakar said government is surprised at this decision, however it will continue to engage Organised Labour and other stakeholders in a constructive dialogue to find lasting solutions to this national problem.
The statement reiterates government’s commitment to the fight against illegal small-scale mining and called on stakeholders to join forces in the fight against this canker.
