The General Agricultural Workers’ Union of TUC, Ghana has joined Organised Labour and Civil Society Organisations to demand that the government declare a state of emergency on ‘galamsey’ activities.

It said: ‘As an Agricultural Union operating within the sector most affected by Galamsey activities, the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) as a matter of urgency joins Organized Labour and that of other Civil Society Organizations to call on government to declare a state of emergency to salvage the whole country from the galamsey menace.

‘GAWU demands immediate action from the President of the Republic to act immediately to salvage the remains of our lands, air, water bodies and human bodies without delay,’ an official statement signed by its General Secretary, Mr Andrews Addoquaye Tagoe said.

The statement also urged the government to prioritise the reclamation of destroyed lands and the restoration of polluted water bodies as well as the immediate revocation of L.I. 2462.

It also called for the arre
st and prosecution of persons/groups destroying cocoa farms and oil palm plantations and other agricultural lands for purposes of galamsey.

The Union also demands the government to support and invest in alternative livelihood that provide sustainable employment opportunities for these individuals, particularly in agriculture.

‘We call on all agricultural establishments and Civil Society Organizations in the agricultural value chain to join in the fight against this menace.

Organized Labour and the Civil Society Organisations have been calling on the government to declare a state of emergency on illegal mining activities in the country to avert the continuous destruction of the country’s forests and water bodies.

Source: Ghana News Agency