News
Galamsey: We’ll proceed with nationwide strike – Organised Labour
Organised Labour has confirmed its decision to proceed with the nationwide strike planned for Thursday, October 10, 2024.
The group expressed dissatisfaction with President Akufo-Addo’s response to their demands, despite his reaffirmed commitment to addressing the illegal mining issue.
Organised Labour has been urging the president to declare a state of emergency on illegal mining and implement long-term solutions to combat the menace.
Speaking to the media on Monday, October 7, the Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Joshua Ansah, reiterated the union’s determination to go ahead with the strike unless significant action is taken by the government before the ultimatum.
“We have concluded as follows; our strike remains unchanged,’ he stated.
He continued: “We are of the view that what the government has proposed does not adequately address our demands and therefore our notice of strike remains unchanged.”
Meanwhile, tensions have surfaced within Organised Labour as some factions, particularly from the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG) and other groups, claim they were not consulted before the announcement of the strike.
A faction, identifying themselves as “Concerned Members of Organised Labour,” has voiced opposition to how the strike decision was communicated. Although they support the fight against galamsey, they believe the leadership’s approach to declaring the strike was improper.
The group is calling on Organised Labour’s leadership to suspend the strike and engage in further dialogue with the government.
Dr. Solomon Fokuo, a member of TUTAG, expressed these concerns to journalists in Kumasi, emphasizing that if the leadership had shown the same level of commitment to addressing the welfare of their members, the situation could have been handled more effectively.
He said, “We are all against galamsey. We are against all those who are destroying our water bodies and the environment and we urge the government to use legal means to stop it to protect our environment but the major concern is what Organised Labour is talking about.”
“They have decided to declare a strike on October 10 but we were not consulted and we have not been involved and are not aware,” he said.
He added, “We have not been involved in any of the activities that they have been doing. We don’t know where they get their energy from and if they had used the same energy in fighting for our welfare, things would have been better.”
Source: Citinewsroom.com
News
Craze for x’mas shopping: Crowded markets, low patronage
Vendors of food and other wares associated with the Christmas celebration have expressed surprise at the low patronage despite the increased number of visitors to some of the major markets across the capital.
Four days to the celebration(Christmas), the markets are filled with various products ranging from food, clothing, livestock and many other stuff, but according to the vendors, patrons are doing more ‘window’ shopping.
The Spectator on visits to some of the markets in the capital, notably the Odawna, Makola, Accra Central Business District, New Town and others made similar observations as shoppers crowd them but did little in terms of purchases.
The paper also observed that majority of vendors, originally selling other wares have switched to product related to the festive season.
What it means is that there are a lot more clothes, food and vegetables, livestock and poultry, toys, firecrackers, drinks of different types and many others on display.
The markets have also stretched to the pedestrian pavement, leaving very narrow spaces for commuters to move about freely.
That, in addition to a few of the female vendors dressed in coloured attires to reflect the occasion, has heightened the euphoria, leaving the low sales as the only headache for the vendors.
Speaking with this paper, they sounded very optimistic, believing that sales would improve in the last few days to the yuletide.
According to them, there was the opportunity to sell beyond Christmas as the New Year celebration offers similar opportunity to trade the same wares.
They urged patrons to throng the markets to shop since prices were quite moderate and products affordable for all.
News
Retirement service for Elder John Ackom-Asante,3 others
Retired Deputy Editor of The Spectator, Elder John Ackom-Asante, was last Sunday honoured by the Church of Pentecost Windy Hills District in Kasoa in the Central Region, with a retirement thanksgiving service, after serving for 26 year as an Elder of the church.
He was honoured with a citation and certificate of service along with three other elders who served in the capacity for various years.
Elder Ackom-Asante was baptised at the Darkuman Central Assembly in 1979 and ordained as an Elder in 1997.
The citation read “Your selfless service, zeal, willingness to relate wholeheartedly and your desire to effect change has gone a long way to shape the lives of many people in the church and the nation over the 26 years of your dedication to the service of the Lord.”
Elder Ackom- Asante held many positions at the Darkuman Central Assembly, Obuasi in the Ashanti Region and Tema, serving in various capacities as youth and evangelism ministry leader and marriage counsellor.
He was the founding member of the Darkuman Christian Fellowship, a member of the Greater Accra Christian Fellowship; member of Bible Society of Ghana; founding member Obuasi Chapter Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship International and founding member of New Times Corporation Christian Fellowship and Chaplain, Methodist University Tema Campus 2009- 2010.
As a professional journalist, Elder Ackom-Asante combined effectively and efficiently his duty as a member and elder of the church and the demands of his profession, with admiration from the church, kith and kin, till his retirement on December
From Alhaji Salifu Abdul-Rahaman, Kasoa
