Breaking: Organised Labour suspends strike 

Barely twenty-four hours to Organized Labour’s nationwide strike, its leadership have backtracked on their action by suspending the industrial action.

The strike, had garnered the backing of various unions, and aimed at pressuring the government to take decisive action on illegal mining (galamsey) and other pressing issues.

They arrived at this crucial decision during an emergency meeting held on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, where union leaders assessed the situation and agreed to call off the industrial action.

The decision to suspend the strike comes as a surprise to many, as unions had appeared resolute in their stance during previous meetings and public statements.

However, in the submission to union members, the Secretary General of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Joshua Ansah, indicated that the President had directed the Lands Minister to submit a request to Parliament for the revocation of L.I. 2462.

He mentioned that this, along with the deployment of soldiers to assist in the fight and the establishment of 14 courts for the trial of all arrested illegal miners showed enough commitment on the government’s part.

This notwithstanding, he added that the Organised Labour would continue to monitor the implementation and government’s commitment to fighting illegal mining. 

Organised Labour had initially planned the indefinite strike to compel the government to declare a state of emergency and ramp up efforts to address the environmental devastation caused by illegal mining.

By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme