The strike by union employees at Kinross Gold’s Tasiast mine has been suspended at the request of the government of Mauritania, the company said. The strike began on May 5, but the company said it didn’t expect the shutdown to materially affect 2020 production or the development of the 24k expansion.
The company said it has adhered to the three-year collective labor agreement finalized in the fourth quarter 2019, all applicable labor codes, and rigorously complied with all government mandates related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) prior to the strike and will continue to do so going forward.
It added that it disagrees with the basis for the strike, but remains open to discussions with the staff delegates.
There have been four short labor actions at Tasiast since Kinross acquired the mine, the last being in 2016. The average length of these labor actions have been approximately nine days, and none have had a material impact, the company said.