2023-12-01 01:13:43
The Canadian mining group First Quantum Minerals asked Panama on Thursday to be able to suspend the contracts of some 7,000 employees of the largest copper mine in Central America, following the contract renewing its concession was declared unconstitutional.
The company justified its request by denouncing “road blockages” which in recent days have forced it to “temporarily suspend production” at the site.
In this context, First Quantum Minerals requested from the Ministry of Labor “the suspension of the contractual effects of approximately 7,000 employees”, which would imply a cessation of the payment of salaries, the company explained in a press release.
The unions called on the ministry not to grant the group’s request.
The approval in October by Parliament of the renewal for 40 years of the concession contract for this gigantic exploitation gave rise to the largest demonstrations in Panama since the fall of dictator Manuel Antonio Noriega in 1989, due to the financial conditions granted and concerns environmental.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court finally declared the law governing this contract “unconstitutional”. President Laurentino Cortizo, criticized for his “inaction” in the face of the blockages, subsequently promised an “orderly and safe” closure process for the mine.
This open-air mine, located 240 kilometers from the capital, produces some 300,000 tonnes of copper concentrate per year, representing 75% of Panama’s exports and 5% of its GDP.
Trade and Industries Minister Federico Alfaro Boyd, the main person responsible for negotiations with the Canadian company, resigned Thursday, warning that the Supreme Court’s decision might “have serious consequences for the country.”
FQM had highlighted that the mine generates some 50,000 jobs and that the new contract provided for annual contributions to the State of at least $375 million, ten times more than the previous agreement dating from 199
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