Archbishop Bonaventure Kwofie, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, has voiced the Catholic Church's opposition to the strike organized by Organised Labour in response to illegal mining, commonly referred to as galamsey.

He underscored the need for a comprehensive and non-partisan approach to effectively tackle the galamsey crisis and achieve long-term solutions.

“The Accra Archdiocese is the one organizing this environmental prayer walk against galamsey. It is being hijacked by some political elements, making it Catholic Bishop Conference Action. No. It is not the Catholic Bishop Conference Action. And we don’t support either the Organised Labour strike. The galamsey issue is not a political issue. It is environmental, social, community, industrial, it is a work situation and employment situation and it has a lot of ramifications. About four million people are involved in galamsey whether directly or indirectly,” he stated.

During a media interview, Archbishop Kwofie called for more constructive methods to address workers' concerns, cautioning that strike actions can often cause unintended harm, particularly to the most vulnerable members of society.

He emphasized that while strikes may highlight important issues, they might hinder broader efforts to resolve the galamsey problem.

The Archbishop further revealed that the environmental prayer walk against illegal mining, organized by the Accra Archdiocese, has been co-opted by certain political elements.

Archbishop Kwofie acknowledged that although Organised Labour's grievances may be valid, there is a need for more unified and open dialogue to address both labor concerns and the galamsey crisis. He highlighted that illegal mining employs over four million people, emphasizing the necessity for careful management of the issue to prevent negative impacts on the nation's economy and livelihoods.

Organised Labour has affirmed its commitment to a nationwide strike on Thursday, October 10, 2024, citing the government's failure to adequately address illegal mining. Despite President Akufo-Addo’s pledge to tackle the issue, the group has expressed dissatisfaction with the proposed measures.

At a press briefing on Monday, October 7, Joshua Ansah, Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), confirmed the union’s determination to proceed with the strike unless significant actions are taken before the deadline. “We have concluded as follows: our strike remains unchanged,” Ansah stated firmly.

“We believe the government's proposed solutions are insufficient in addressing our concerns, and therefore our notice of strike stands.”