The Ghana Mine Workers Union has confirmed plans to go on a nationwide strike starting October 1, 2024, unless the government takes immediate action to address the escalating problem of illegal mining, known as galamsey.
Speaking to Citi News, the union’s General Secretary, Abdul Gbaana, emphasized the urgency of the situation, pointing out that illegal mining activities have intensified, with miners becoming increasingly defiant despite the environmental damage they cause. He stressed that without swift intervention, the nation’s water bodies and forests face further destruction.
“The situation continues to worsen. People are even emboldened more than ever before. And indeed with impunity. You find videos circulating on social media where people feel emboldened to do galamsey. They don’t give a damn,” Gbaana stated, expressing the union’s frustration.
Gbaana also expressed disappointment that President Nana Akufo-Addo did not adequately address the issue of illegal mining at the recent United Nations General Assembly. According to Gbaana, the President missed an opportunity to present Ghana’s efforts in combating galamsey to global leaders and investors.
“We are urging the President to take swift and decisive action to protect our environment. It almost seems as if he has given up on the fight against illegal mining,” Gbaana said. He called on the President to declare a state of emergency to combat the crisis.
He stressed that the issue goes beyond politics and requires a national response. If the government does not take decisive steps, Gbaana warned that organized labour would move ahead with planned protests and strike actions.
“So between today and Monday, unless something changes, unless something happens, if not, I expect that organized labour plan demonstrations will happen and then subsequently a nationwide strike action will take place,” he added.
The union remains resolute in its stance, calling for government intervention to stop illegal mining and safeguard the country’s environment.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Ghana Mine Workers Union (GMWU) are leading a protest at Sunon Asogli Power (Ghana) Limited in order to call for the restoration of three local union officials who were fired.
Additionally, the demonstration is meant to put an end to what the union terms as flagrant interference, unfair labor practices, and disregard for oversight bodies on the part of the company’s management. Abdul-Moomin Gbana, the general secretary of the GMWU, stated during a news conference in Accra yesterday that the union made that choice after numerous unsuccessful attempts to resolve the conflict peacefully with the company’s management.
Show up The union has consequently encouraged its members to turn up in their numbers and converge on the TUC Head Office in Accra at 8 a.m. today to be conveyed to the protest grounds at Kpone.
Background Giving the background, Mr Gbana said nearly 70 workers of the company took the decision to join the GMWU, and they went through the necessary legal processes to acquire a Collective Bargaining Certificate which was duly issued by the Chief Labour Officer. That certificate empowered the union to represent and negotiate with the company on behalf of the unionised workers. However, as a condition to recognise the certificate issued by the Labour Department, he said the company, through its lawyer, demanded to know the names of the unionised workers. The issue, Mr Gbana said, ended at the National Labour Commission (NLC), with the commission, on two occasions, ruling and directing that the list of the workers was not relevant at that stage and that the certificate was properly and legally issued to GMWU, and, therefore, the company must enter into negotiations with the union. “The company and its lawyers disregarded the decisions of the commission with impunity, and have since refused to respond to any correspondence from the union. Based on the commission’s ruling and under the Labour Act, Mr Gbana said the union wrote to the management per the GMWU Constitution and Labour Act 2003 (Act 651). However, the company refused to comply with the request, citing concerns over the Collective Bargaining Certificate, a matter which, he said, had been settled by the NLC. Based on the company’s apparent refusal to comply with the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), as well as its refusal to respond to any correspondence from the union or honour meetings scheduled by the NLC, the GMWU General Secretary recounted that a notice of intention to embark on strike was served by the union on the company and copied the NLC. This was supposedly in reaction to actions of management, including the termination of the employment of three of the branch union leaders comprising the Union Secretary, the Assistant Secretary and the Chairperson, for the reason that they had joined a trade union and had been elected to lead workers at the enterprise level. “Please take note, once again, that the affected workers have not committed any crime, and they have not broken any company rules. The only crime they have committed, according to the management of the company, is that they have decided to join a trade union of their choice to protect their social and economic interests,” he said.
Resolution While recognising the intervention of the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, Mr Gbana said calls on the management of the company and the authorities concerned to ensure the reinstatement of the three local union leaders had fallen on deaf ears. He added that the several calls to the management to refrain from any acts of intimidation, fear and panic being unleashed on the union members in the company and to stop the abuse of the rights of employees to belong to a union of their choice had also fallen on deaf ears. “Therefore, we are going to use every means, including embarking on protest marches, picketing demonstrations, strikes across the industry and the country, to demand the reinstatement of the three dismissed local union leaders”, he said.
@ a glance The Ghana Mine Workers’ Union of the Trades Union Congress will embark on a protest today at Sunon Asogli Power (Ghana) Limited at Kpone to demand the reinstatement of the three dismissed local union leaders.
