Galamsey: No monetary value from gold is worth our lives – TUC Vice Chair

The Vice Chairman of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Ken Tweneboah Kodua, has expressed disappointment over the government’s stance that it cannot impose a ban on small-scale mining due to the economic consequences of such a decision.

According to him, the government should consider the broader impacts of illegal mining (galamsey) beyond just revenue loss from gold mining.

Speaking on Newsfile on Saturday, September 14, Mr Kodua emphasised that no amount of revenue from gold is worth the lives of Ghanaians.

“Are we putting our lives and all the things at stake just on foreign exchange? Is that what the government is saying when we have the danger of Ghanaians losing their lives due to the chemicals being used?

“When we have the danger of not having water to drink when the food that we are eating is being polluted with these chemicals. I think this argument is far bloated out,” he said.

Mr Kodua stressed that the focus of the galamsey discussion should not be on revenue or exchange rates, but on the well-being of Ghanaians, adding that the money being generated is supposed to serve the people.

“What will be the use when the money is in and we have a lot of burden? I think that argument for me is not right. The government must listen to the people, lives are at stake,” he said.

He also raised concerns about the calls for exempting licensed small-scale miners from the ban and urged the government to halt all mining activities and conduct a thorough audit to determine who holds valid licenses and who is operating responsibly, without polluting water bodies or encroaching on forest reserves.

“You can’t say that because of the foreign exchange or because others have licenses – we know of those who have licenses and yet polluting the same water and depleting forest reserves.

“So TUC or Organised Labour, our call is clear, you must halt everything and then come and let’s see how we can make progress,” he added.

The TUC has already served notice it will embark on a strike at the end of this month if drastic measures are not taken by the government to end galamsey. Meanwhile, it is expected to meet the government this week regarding its concerns.