Organised Labour has called on government to as a matter of urgency address the illegal mining activities, popularly known as galamsey in the country.

The group, among other things, called for the revocation of the Executive Instrument (EI) permitting mining in sensitive areas.

Additionally, all political parties must sign a pact banning galamsey.

This comes after the Organised Labour on September 17, 2024, met with the ad-hoc inter-ministerial Committee set up by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to engage stakeholders in the fight against illegal mining - a canker that has reared its head up in the country.

In a statement issued by the Secretary General of Organised Labour, Joshua Ansah, it said, “Given the dire nature of the threat we face, Organised Labour made additional demands to its initial demands as follows: 1. Revocation of Forest (Cessation of Forest Reserve) (Amendment) Instrument, 2023 (Ε.Ι. 234) 2. All political parties to sign a pact on banning galamsey.”

“While the government team accepted these proposals from Organised Labour, it requested additional time to engage other stakeholders to enable it to develop a comprehensive roadmap towards addressing the galamsey menace. This would also enable the government to respond to the specific demands of Organised Labour in a week.”

The Organised Labour reiterated that its initial demands remain unchanged and timelines for action have not been varied.

Some of the initial demands include an immediate declaration of a state of emergency in areas most affected by galamsey.

Also, special courts dedicated to prosecuting offenders involved in illegal mining need to be established in the country.

SA/MA

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