The President of the University of Ghana chapter of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UG-UTAG), Prof. Ransford Gyampo, has criticised the leadership of Organised Labour for their decision to suspend the planned strike action over illegal mining.
Organised labour indicated that the decision followed a meeting with the government, during which the administration offered enhanced measures to strengthen the fight against galamsey.
In a statement released a while ago, Prof. Gyampo expressed his disappointment with how the leadership handled the meeting with government officials.
The lecturer detailed some developments that ensued at the meeting held today to address new government proposals on illegal mining.
Prof Gyampo revealed that the Secretary General of Trades Union Congress (TUC), Joshua Ansah and Executive Secretary of the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG), Dr. Isaac Bampoe-Addo arrived with a pre-written speech calling for the suspension of the planned strike.
This move sparked controversy as Prof. Gyampo and other attendees questioned the appropriateness of their actions.
Although the two leaders apologised after being confronted, per Prof Gyampo’s account, tensions escalated when they presented the government’s supposed new interventions.
However, Prof. Gyampo noted that these proposals were not significantly different from those discussed and rejected earlier on October 7.
He and others present suggested that the government should at least impose a temporary moratorium on mining to facilitate discussions on the practicalities of the proposals. This suggestion, according to Prof. Gyampo, was ignored.
“The leadership of Organized Labour refused to listen,” he lamented, adding that before any further suggestions could be made, the media was called in, and the pre-prepared speech was read to them. “The meeting was rancorous and acrimonious. It ended in disunity,” he stated.
Prof. Gyampo also hinted at the division within the ranks of Organised Labour, adding that the UTAG National Executive Committee (NEC) was set to meet later that night to discuss the situation.
He reassured his colleagues that UTAG would continue to support the fight against illegal mining, saying, “Let us brace ourselves to be the only conscience of the nation in the fight against the existential threat that confronts all of us.”
