Agua Rica to Reduce Personnel and Mining Activities
Published by MAC on 2009-04-06Source: El Ancasti
The mining company Agua Rica announced that beginning in April it will reduce personnel and limit the work that has been in development to open the Agua Rica mining project, near the city Andalgala, Catamarca province, Argentina.
Some 60 people contracted by the mine will be left without work, and only a small group of 10 to 15 employees will continue performing maintenance tasks while the mine is placed on standby. “In April Agua Rica Mining will begin a period of reduction of its normal tasks, with a temporary reduction in the work that has been in progress. This decision was made based on various publicly-known factors on the local, provincial, and international levels, and as a consequence of the international situation that is dominated by a deep financial crisis and a drop in the price of metals, especially copper. In this panorama, and to assure the future of the Agua Rica project, the company has decided to temporarily reduce the number of workers,” said the press release.
The document indicates that the company has made a “notable effort” in the last half of 2008 to keep its employees. “Unfortunately, current conditions are directly affecting the project.”
Andalgala Chamber of Commerce President Jorge Rojano expressed his concern for the high unemployment rate in the county, to which the employees of Agua Rica will now be added. “If the people are going to be left in the street without work, someone will have to take responsibility,” said Rojano.