Nationwide strike isn’t the answer to galamsey crisis – Deputy education minister urges Organised Labour

The Deputy Minister for Education, Prof. Kingsley Nyarko, has urged Organised Labour to reconsider its planned nationwide strike over concerns related to illegal mining (galamsey).

While speaking at the Ghana Teacher Prize event in Kumasi on Thursday, October 3, Prof. Nyarko highlighted that striking is not the most effective way to address the issue. Instead, he advocated for continued dialogue among key stakeholders.

This comes after Organised Labour announced a strike, scheduled for October 10, in protest of the government’s failure to declare a state of emergency in response to the devastating effects of illegal mining on the environment.

Prof. Nyarko, who is also the Member of Parliament for Kwadaso, emphasized the importance of working together to find a lasting solution.

“Strikes and demonstrations are not necessarily the solutions in addressing issues or meeting the demands of individuals. That is not the best way to go,” he said.

“For me, it’s more about dialogue because the government and individuals are concerned about the activities of galamsey. The government has put in place interventions to deal with this issue.”

He also called for a collective effort, saying, “It demands collective efforts not only from the government but from civil society, the media, chiefs, traditional leaders, the clergy, and everybody must come on board for us to deal with it.”

Prof. Nyarko further appealed to Organised Labour to reconsider their decision, saying, “I will plead with Organised Labour that instead of embarking on a strike we don’t know when it will end, the best way is to keep engaging the authorities for us to come to a meaningful, progressive, and productive solution to this particular problem. Industrial action will only lead to a reduction in productivity that will affect our revenue.”

Source:dailymailgh.com