The Responsible Small-Scale Miners Association of Ghana has announced plans to hold a demonstration on Friday, October 11, 2024, in response to Organised Labour’s nationwide strike, which is set to begin on October 10.

The Association argues Organised Labour’s stance against illegal mining threatens the operations of legitimate small-scale miners and is politically motivated.

In a statement signed by the association’s Secretary, Mark Conduah, and addressed to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) George Akuffo Dampare, the group said, “Galamsey (illegal mining) is already banned in Ghana, so Organised Labour’s call to ban legitimate small-scale mining is merely an attempt to frustrate legal mining businesses.”

The Association described the position of Organised Labour as “counterproductive and politically motivated,” claiming that it was an attempt to undermine their source of livelihood.

The group emphasised small-scale mining was legal under the Minerals and Mining Act of 2006, and called for a comprehensive strategy to combat illegal mining rather than imposing blanket bans.

The planned demonstration will advocate for constructive dialogue and pragmatic solutions to the challenges posed by illegal mining, rather than sweeping measures that harm legal small-scale mining activities, the statement concluded.