The Ad-hoc Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining has refuted claims by the New Patriotic Party Chairman for the Bono region, Abronye DC that Organised Labour demanded money in return for calling off its planned strike over galamsey.
Kwame Baffoe, as he is privately known, had alleged that the leadership of Organised Labour made monetary demands from the Committee during their recent meeting.
However, the Committee has roundly dismissed this allegation.
A statement issued on September 19, and signed by Committee chairman Albert Kan-Dapaah, the National Security Minister, stated in part, “the claims are baseless and unfounded. No such demand has been made and no such payment has been made either.”
It added that “the engagement between the Committee and Organised Labour was held in good faith and without inducement.”
The committee urged the public to “disregard such false claims.”
As part of their demands to help curb the galamsey menace, the labour groups have called on government to declare a state of emergency, a blanket ban on all forms of small-scale mining and others.
At the end of their meeting, they reiterated their stance and readiness to embark on industrial action if nothing is done by the end of September 2024.
