The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UG-UTAG) chapter at the University of Ghana has declared that it will go ahead with its scheduled strike even though Organised Labour has cancelled its countrywide strike against the illegal mining (galamsey) situation.
The UG-UTAG strike is a reaction to what the organisation believes to be the government’s inadequate response to the persistent galamsey threat. It was initially planned to start on Thursday, October 10, 2024.
At a news conference on Wednesday in Accra, Organised Labour said that the government’s efforts to stop illegal mining were the reason behind their decision to call off the strike. But UG-UTAG is still not persuaded.
Prof. Ransford Gyampo, President of UG-UTAG, stressed the gravity of the situation and reaffirmed the association’s resolve to adopt a clear stance on the matter in remarks to media after the Organised Labour declaration.
He vented his displeasure, alleging that Organised Labour had silenced UG-UTAG’s opinions during the decision-making process.
Prof. Gyampo stressed that, considering the gravity of the illegal mining crisis and its deleterious effects on the nation’s ecology and future, UG-UTAG felt obliged to act independently, even in spite of the decision made by the larger labour group.
“We even wanted to be allowed to say that if this is the route to go then let’s subject the government to strict deadline. They said they will not let us talk. in the meeting, I made my first point to others; a few people spoke and if you are speaking the chairman gets up and says he doesn’t want you to talk. We didn’t finish with the meeting before we realised they had called the media in.”
“So, the meeting did not end, and they got up to read the statement that had been prepared already for you…We are going to meet this evening. We had voted already. The 16 public universities had voted unanimously, overwhelmingly to say that they want to go on industrial action, and we don’t care about what ‘disorganised labour’ wants to do.
“We will be the conscience of Ghana. We will defend Ghanaians, and we will ensure that we defeat this fight, we will defeat this existential threat that confronts all of us. If Organised Labour will not want to do it, we will want to do it,” he stated.
Source: Citinewsroom