Nationwide strike not solution to galamsey crisis – Deputy Education Minister to Organised Labour

Deputy Minister for Education, Prof. Kingsley Nyarko, has appealed to Organised Labour to reconsider its planned nationwide strike over galamsey concerns.

Speaking at the Ghana Teacher Prize in Kumasi, on Thursday, October 3, Prof. Nyarko emphasised that industrial action isn’t the best approach, instead advocating for more dialogue among stakeholders.

He made this appeal following Organised Labour’s declaration of a strike, slated for October 10, in response to the government’s inaction on declaring a state of emergency due to galamsey‘s devastating impact.

Prof. Nyarko, who is also the Member of Parliament for Kwadaso, stressed the need for a collaborative solution.

“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.”