Normal working resumed at Comibol’s Huanuni mine in Bolivia yesterday after 5,000 striking workers returned to work. The strike had begun on Saturday over payment of productivity bonuses for January.
In January tin-in-concentrate production reached a record level of 632 tonnes, up from 501 tonnes in December 2006.
December was the first full month of operation after the mine was re-organised and thousands of former co-operative workers taken on to the Comibol payroll. Carnival holidays then led to a drop in output to 509 tonnes in February.
Further investment in new equipment is expected to push up monthly production to 600 – 800 tpm in the near future. Comibol is also training 250 Huanuni employees for re-deployment at the nearby Posokoni deposit.
