Galamsey: Strike Action Will Affect Our Revenue – Dep. Education Minister Pleads With Organised Labour | Politics

Deputy Minister for Education, Prof. Kingsley Nyarko, has urged Organised Labour to rescind on their decision to embark on a nationwide strike over the concerns of the negative impact of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

Professor Kingsley Nyarko while speaking at the Ghana Teacher Prize in Kumasi, on Thursday, October 3, stated that industrial action is not the best option to take when one needs to address a pressing need.

He further added that Organized Labour should rather advocate for more dialogue among stakeholders.

His comments come following the strike action to be embarked on by Organised labour over government’s inability to declare a state of emergency on the activities of illegal mining.

Prof. Kingsley Nyarko, who serves as the Member of Parliament for Kwadaso constituency, underscored the need to pursue a collaborative solution.

He said, “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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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 added.