FLASH: Guinea's mining sector collective agreement to take effect in Aug amid Rusal Friguia strike

Rusal Friguia, a bauxite and alumina complex in Guinea owned by Russian aluminum giant Rusal, has recently been affected by a strike triggered by the company's alleged non-compliance with the collective agreement. The strike began in late July and intensified this week amid disputes over working conditions and benefits between Rusal Friguia and its employees.

The labour action started on July 28, when more than 100 workers at the Friguia alumina refinery in Friguia Prefecture, Boké Region, took to the streets to protest the company's refusal to implement the collective agreement signed this February.

According to local media, a representative of the refinery's labour union claimed that the company created a shell entity called SEINTA to transfer contractual relationships, thereby evading its legal obligations to pay employees the wages and benefits they are entitled to.

On August 11, the strike escalated as the issues remained unresolved. Workers blocked railway tracks and obstructed trucks transporting alumina from the plant. Witnesses said that police dispersed the demonstrators on the instructions of the governor of the prefecture.

Although the strike at Rusal Friguia has not yet significantly affected local alumina supply, market concerns are mounting over potential supply disruptions in the short run, Mysteel Global noted.