Strike ends at bauxite mine

OPERATIONS at the Société Minière de Boké’s bauxite mine in Guinea have restarted after a nearly two-week strike that halted production of aluminium ore, the company’s managing director said yesterday. The company – owned by Guinea, China’s Winning Shipping, Shandong Weiqiao and UMS International – said on Monday it had lost between 1 million and 1.2 million tons of scheduled bauxite production because of the strike. Losses due to the strike had been running to $1 million (R12.4m) a day. “The majority of workers have returned. There are blockages, with no impact on shipments.” – Reuters/ African News Agency