Australia’s Resolute Mining (ASX, LON: RSG) withdrew on Wednesday its production and costs guidance for 2020 after unionized workers at its Syama gold mine in Mali notified the company of a looming a 10-day strike.
The miner, which expected to churn out 430,000 ounces of gold at an all-in sustaining cost of $980 per ounce, said the union is threatening with downing tools unless the company resumes full pay to employees affected by covid-19 measures.
“Resolute has implemented a comprehensive, company-wide response to the coronavirus pandemic,” it said. “At Syama, a decision has been made to limit the travel of non-essential workers from outside the surrounding region to the mine site to limit the risk of transmission of the virus.”
The gold miner added it had informed the union the company considers the strike notice “irresponsible” and “opportunistic”. It also said the threat represented a breach of the commitments made in a workforce stability agreement for the mine.
Resolute Mining said it was considering how to respond to the strike notice, adding it intended to continue to seek the union’s understanding and support for the appropriate actions.
The miner reported in August strong results for the first six months of the year, with revenue reaching $305 million from gold sales.
It also noted at the time that it didn’t expect Syama operations to be affected by the recent coup in Mali.