President of the University of Ghana, Legon branch of the university Teachers Association of Ghana (UG-TAG), Professor Ransford Gyampo, has accused two leaders of Organised Labour, Joshua Ansah and Dr. Isaac Bampoe, of showing up to a crucial meeting with a pre-prepared speech calling for the suspension of the intended strike against illegal mining.
Ransford Gyampo said this move was questioned by other members, prompting Joshua Ansah and Bampoe to apologize.
However, the meeting took a turn for the worse when the leadership refused to listen to further suggestions and instead called in the media to read their prepared speech.
“We responded that the interventions were not different in substance from the ones we discussed and rejected at our meeting on Monday, 7th October,” Dr. Gyampo explained.
Organised Labour had demanded a temporary moratorium on mining for a few days to discuss the proposals’ practicalities.
The meeting ended in disunity, with Dr. Gyampo describing it as “rancorous and acrimonious.”
The UTAG National Executive Council (NEC) is convening an emergency meeting tonight to address the situation.
Dr. Gyampo urged members to “brace ourselves to be the only conscience of the nation in the fight against the existential threat that confronts all of us.”
He acknowledged the overwhelming support from public universities across the country in the fight against illegal mining.
Organised Labour suspended its planned nationwide strike scheduled for October 10, 2024 this evening.
The strike was intended to pressure the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo-led government to take decisive action against illegal mining, known commonly as galamsey, which has destroyed several water bodies in the country.
“The meeting discussed at length Organised Labour’s response to the earlier measures announced by Government. Following this meeting, Government offered enhanced and time-bound measures in respect of our demands and the fight against illegal mining,” the statement read.
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