Reuters
No alumina produced at RUSAL Guinea plant since April 3
Edited by : AL CIRCLE
2 min read
UC RUSAL's Friguia alumina refinery in Guinea has not been in production since April 3, despite the suspension of a strike at the plant late last month, union and company officials said on Friday.
Operations at Friguia have been repeatedly disrupted in recent months due to disputes between unions and RUSAL, the world's largest producer of aluminium, over pay and benefits.
"There has not been any production since April 3," said Kabinet Barry, a union official at Friguia, which produces about 630,000 tonnes of alumina a year in normal circumstances.
Two other sources, both local RUSAL employees at Friguia, confirmed that the plant was not producing alumina.
A RUSAL representative said the situation had not changed from April 27, when the company said that the suspension of "an illegal strike" by Friguia unions has not led to the complex's operations fully restarting.
The firm said at the time that output was not affected as RUSAL compensated the shortfall in alumina from its reserve.
But it also recognised that the plant was not fully operational as union officials were in charge of the plant and expatriate experts were staying away due to security reasons.
Workers went on strike at Friguia - the only refinery in Guinea, the world's No. 1 exporter of bauxite - in April to demand a minimum wage of $400 per month and the payment of the employees' medical costs.
Operations at Friguia have been repeatedly disrupted in recent months due to disputes between unions and RUSAL, the world's largest producer of aluminium, over pay and benefits.
"There has not been any production since April 3," said Kabinet Barry, a union official at Friguia, which produces about 630,000 tonnes of alumina a year in normal circumstances.
Two other sources, both local RUSAL employees at Friguia, confirmed that the plant was not producing alumina.
A RUSAL representative said the situation had not changed from April 27, when the company said that the suspension of "an illegal strike" by Friguia unions has not led to the complex's operations fully restarting.
The firm said at the time that output was not affected as RUSAL compensated the shortfall in alumina from its reserve.
But it also recognised that the plant was not fully operational as union officials were in charge of the plant and expatriate experts were staying away due to security reasons.
Workers went on strike at Friguia - the only refinery in Guinea, the world's No. 1 exporter of bauxite - in April to demand a minimum wage of $400 per month and the payment of the employees' medical costs.
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