Claim: Multiple sources say a Presidency report confirmed the associations under organised labour were each given GHȼ2 million to call off their Oct. 10, 2024, strike to protest the destruction of Ghana’s waterbodies through illegal mining.
Verdict: False. JUSTFACT GHANA’s investigations showed no such presidency report exists, as some social media users alleged. Also, Accra-based Citi FM, the alleged originators of the fact card, has disclaimed it, labelling it as “fake.”
Background
Multiple sources say a Presidency report showed the associations under organised labour were each given GHȼ2 million to call off their Oct. 10, 2024, strike to protest the destruction of Ghana’s waterbodies through illegal mining.
The Organised Labour has called off a nationwide strike scheduled for Oct. 10, 2024, to protest the destruction of Ghana’s water bodies and forest reserves through illegal mining localised as galamsey.
The announcement to suspend the strike came less than 24 hours before the intended industrial action.
See media reports on the suspension of the strike here, here, here and here.
However, one of the associations, the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), has voted to embark on the strike despite the mother union’s U-turn.
Opinion in the country is divided over Organised Labour’s announcement, with a section of Ghanaians accusing the country’s governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) of bribing the workers.
Some social media users shared a fact card with the logo of Accra-based Citi FM, claiming the associations under Organised Labour were each given GHȼ2 million to call off the protest.
“Each association among Organised Labour was given GHȼ2 million to boycott the intended strike,” a Presidency report alleged.
See the fact cards making the rounds on X (formerly Twitter) here and here.
The social media platform data showed had as of Oct. 10, 2024, over 170,234 combined views, 2,934 likes, 899 reposts, 121 comments, and 102 bookmarks.
Reacting to the claim, an X user, Manuel, wrote on Oct. 9, 2024:
“I knew it. I remember a comment even before the president issue a statement on this strike, that these leaders of organized labour will get some huge envelopes and this strike won’t come on. You people act as if you don’t know our leaders.”
Another X user, Filta, wrote on Oct. 10, 2024:
“Look at what they are using tax payers money for, bribing associations from demonstrations.”
Investigations
JUSTFACT GHANA’s investigations showed no such presidency report exists, as some social media users alleged.
Accra-based Citi FM, the alleged originators of the fact card, has disclaimed it, labelling it as “fake.”
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the media outlet said the flyer was not created by them.
“FAKE! Please disregard this news card – it is not from us,” Accra-based Citi FM said, encouraging their readers to verify any news card on their website.
Also, JUSTFACT GHANA’s Google keyword search found that no credible media organisation in the West African country has reported on the claim.
Given the heated public discussion around the destructive activities of illegal mining and the enthusiasm triggered by Organised Labour’s strike, reputable media organisations in Ghana would have published an alleged bribery claim from the presidency.
However, JUSTFACT GHANA found no online data supporting the X users’ claim that a Presidency report confirms the associations under Organised Labour were bribed to call off the mass protest.
Similarly, JUSTFACT GHANA contacted the social media users to find out the source of the claim, but they have yet to respond to the inquiry.
Conclusion
There is no Presidency report suggesting that the associations under Organised Labour were each bribed to call off the anti-Galamsey strike action.
