An in-depth study about Glencore’s Congolese mines (PR or Progress? Glencore’s Corporate Responsibility in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) published today (Wednesday, 18 June 2014) by the British human rights organisation, Rights and Accountability in Development (RAID) and two leading Swiss development agencies, Bread for All and Fastenopfer, finds that the company’s performance falls far short of international standards in a number of critical areas. Glencore’s CEO, Ivan Glasenberg, has told shareholders that the only concern of mine managers should be ‘to get products to the gate as cheaply as possible’. But poor communities living next to Glencore’s mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) pay a heavy price for the company’s strategy for success.
Mining union Amcu rejected the latest offer from mining companies Implats, Amplats and Lonmin.
Amcu president Joseph Mthunjwa addressed thousands of members at the Wonderkop stadium near Rustenburg. In spite of general optimism that an “in principle agreement” would be accepted, the miners rejected it, smashing hopes that the 21 week long strike would come to an end.
Platinum producer Lonmin may soon need to raise capital to survive South Africa’s longest and costliest mining strike, which has paralysed its operations and slashed its revenue.
“Porgera Burns” read headlines this morning in Papua New Guinea’s daily newspaper. More than 200 houses were burnt to the ground, it reports, and angry villagers retaliated by attacking an Australian mine worker.
This isn’t the first time that security forces have burnt down hundreds of houses next to Barrick’s mine, and this recent violent episode underscores the need to meet the community’s demand to be resettled away from the dangerous mine site.
SAN ANTONIO DE JUPROG, Peru (AP) — The Marzano-Velasquez clan lived a simple, pastoral life on a mountain that turned out to hold the world’s largest known copper-and-zinc deposit.
They didn’t expect riches when they and dozens of other Quechua-speaking families sold out to an international mining consortium. But they did believe the open-pit Antamina mine would lift their long-neglected highlands district from poverty, provide steady jobs, decent health care and schools.
