Bauxite Mining Resumes As Strike In Guinea Ends

Bauxite mining resumes as strike in Guinea ends

Toronto Globe and Mail

30th January 2007

Mining operations by Guinea's national bauxite company have resumed following the suspension on the weekend of a general strike against President Lansana Conte, a company official said yesterday. "We're at 100 per cent. Normal activities have been completely restored," the official at Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinee SA's (CBG) Sangaredi mine, who asked not to be named, told Reuters News Agency.

Production by CBG, the world's biggest bauxite exporter, restarted on Saturday, the day union leaders and Mr. Conte's government reached a deal to end an 18-day strike. Alcoa Inc. runs CBG through its Halco venture with Alcan Inc. and privately owned Dadco Investments Ltd. Halco owns 51 per cent of CBG and the Guinean government holds the rest. AA (NYSE) fell 27 cents (U.S.) to $31.80. AL (TSX) rose 1 cent (Canadian) to $58.2