Madagascar – 11 June 2015
Workers at Madagascar Ambatovy nickel mine consider strike over jobs
Workers at Sherritt International Corp’s Ambatovy nickel project in Madagascar are considering strike action over possible job cuts, a trade union official said on Monday.
The crisis at one of Madagascar’s biggest foreign investment projects comes as the poor but mineral-rich Indian Ocean state faces a political crisis after its parliament moved to sack President Hery Rajaonarimampianina late last month.
Rajaonarimampianina’s peaceful election victory in late 2013, the first vote since a 2009 military coup, was seen as a chance for stability after years of post-coup isolation.
Reuters
Madagascar’s Current Political Situation
The United States is closely following ongoing political developments in Madagascar. The country has made tremendous progress since its 2013 elections and return to democracy, and we hope that current developments do not jeopardize those gains.
We call on all parties to resolve the current political impasse with respect for the rule of law and through national dialogue in order to maintain the political stability needed to grow the economy, attract investment, create employment and improve the lives of the Malagasy people. All political leaders need to work together to enable Madagascar to reach its full potential. The welfare of the Malagasy people should be everyone’s first priority.
US State Department
Sherritt Workers in Madagascar Mull Strike Action Over Job Cuts
Workers at Sherritt International Corp.’s Ambatovy nickel project in Madagascar may go on strike after job cuts at the mine, a labor-union official said.
The company, based in Toronto, said on June 4 the joint venture cut about 12 percent of its workforce, resulting in about 1,100 employees and contractors having their employment contracts suspended or being demobilized. The Syndicalisme et Vie de Societes is organizing a meeting on Monday to help employees decide what steps to take next, said Richard Rakotovao, head of the legal department at the labor union.
“We are taking all legal steps before considering going on strike,” Rakotovao said by phone Monday from the capital, Antananarivo.
Bloomberg