Colombian steelmaker APR workers threaten to strike
Monday, 24 Aug 2009
BNamericas reported that workers at Colombian steelmaker Acerías Paz del Río, controlled by Brazil's Votorantim Metais, have threatened a strike to demand that the 80 miners fired when the company's La 45 coal mine was shut down be rehired.
An APR union director told BNamericas that despite the fact that the mine was shut down for operating without the proper environmental license, workers have decided to move forward with their protest.
According to the union official, if the company does not present a solution to worker complaints quickly the miners will hold a major protest in Boyacá department, home to both the company's mine and steel plant, to demand a response. He added that "We have already withstood layoffs at the plant but firing mine workers is just too much."
Although Colombian geology and mining institute Ingeominas has approved APR's mining concession, the departmental corporation Corpoboyacá still has not granted the environmental licenses needed.
In July 2009, APR said that it had budgeted nearly USD 12 million for coal exploration and that by the end of the year the company would know the quantity and type of coal available. It made USD 1.3 million in net profits during 2008.
