Ghana Medical Association not likely to join Organised Labour strike
The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has decided not to join the upcoming strike announced by Organised Labour, which aims to pressure the government to take stricter actions against illegal mining, especially in forest reserves. According to sources cited by GhanaWeb, the decision was reached after a leadership meeting where the majority voted against participating in the strike.
At the meeting, 15 out of 21 members voted against the strike, with one person abstaining and five voting in favor. The GMA expressed the belief that while the health risks associated with illegal mining, or galamsey, are well understood, a strike is not a sustainable solution to the problem. Instead, they advocate for a collective and long-term approach to address the issue.
Three main reasons were cited for the GMA’s decision:
- Pragmatic Solutions: The GMA emphasized that the galamsey crisis requires a comprehensive, multi-stakeholder roadmap that will effectively tackle the issue, rather than temporary actions like a strike.
- Ethical Considerations: The association raised concerns about abandoning patients who urgently need medical care, such as those on dialysis or in emergency units, stating that it would be unjust to deny them services.
- Exclusion from Decision-Making: The GMA felt sidelined in the planning of the strike, as their input was not sought by Organised Labour, unlike in previous instances. This contributed to their dissatisfaction with the process.
The GMA’s decision has a ripple effect, as it is expected that the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) will also refrain from participating in the strike, given their close collaboration with the GMA.
Despite this, Organised Labour remains committed to proceeding with the strike, scheduled to begin on Thursday, October 10, following a meeting in which they concluded that the government’s responses to their demands were insufficient. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had appealed to Organised Labour to reconsider the strike, expressing the need for unity in tackling the environmental destruction caused by galamsey. However, labour leaders remain firm in their decision, calling for a state of emergency, the revocation of certain mining regulations, and the deployment of the military to protect forest reserves and water bodies.
