A nationwide strike is not the solution to galamsey - Deputy education minister

Prof. Kingsley Nyarko, the Deputy Minister for Education, has urged Organised Labour to review its decision of a planned nationwide strike regarding galamsey activities, as reported by myjoyonline.com.

He advised them to consider other possible solutions to addressing the matter, arguing that a nationwide strike is not the best alternative.

Prof. Kingsley Nyarko said this while addressing attendees of the Ghana Teacher Prize ceremony in Kumasi on October 3, where he addressed concerns about the planned industrial action.

He added that a continuous dialogue and collaboration among all important stakeholders is imperative to find a permanent solution to the devastating effects of illegal mining.

“It demands collective efforts not only from the government but from other civil society and the media should be involved as well, chiefs, traditional leaders, the clergy and everybody must come on board for us to deal with it," he added.

According to the deputy minister, a dialogue can produce a better solution than pausing national productivity.

“I will plead with Organised Labour that instead of embarking on 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," he stated.

Reacting to the governments refusal to declare a state of emergency on galamsey, the Organised Labour announced its decision to embark on a nationwide strike which is set to happen on October 10.

The Organisation contended that there has been a huge devastating effect of illegal mining on the country’s environment especially on water bodies which demands immediate and more decisive action.

Prof. Nyarko, who doubles as the Member of Parliament for Kwadaso in the Ashanti Region, acknowledged the validity of the concerns of the Organised labour, but said that the expected change would not be derived from striking.

He stressed the importance of a united effort by the government, labour groups and other key players to develop an all-inclusive approach to fight illegal mining.

“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 indicated.

RAD/AE

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