Raglan mine workers reject new offer from Glencore as standstill enters its ninth week

Workers at Glencore’s Raglan nickel mine in Nunavik rejected the company’s latest offer this week, as a labour dispute that has halted most of the mine’s operations enters its third month.  

Glencore said in a release that its latest proposal offered most of the unionized employees a compensation of about $130,000 to $190,000 annually, twice the average pay of workers in Quebec.  

But union workers, who have been fighting against the increased use of subcontracting and pushing for better working conditions, say that they were asked to accept less than what was previously proposed.  

Negotiations have now returned to square one, the union said.  

“Let the message from our members ring loud and clear all the way to head office: we’re not afraid; we will not be bullied,” union representative Harold Arseneault said in a press release on July 21. “We will remain standing until a negotiated agreement is reached.”  

This strike, which began on May 27 after 98% of the 630 union workers voted to enforce it, comes at a time when Glencore is being investigated for corruption in the United Kingdom. The company’s latest offer was rejected by a vote of 76.7%.  

“Glencore has been continually pushing the limits,” said Eric Savard, president of the mine’s union had said in May after the strike was enforced. “It even balks at providing a proper lunch hour to workers who are working 11 hours a day, 21 days in a row.”  

Glencore however, refuted the allegations and said that workers in the company have had an average “satisfaction rate” of 86% in the past several years based on internal surveys.  

Raglan mine’s vice-president, Pierre Barrette said that he was disappointed with the outcome of the latest vote. 

“Our objective with this new offer was to provide our employees with working conditions that are among the best in the mining industry, and to restart our activities as quickly as possible for the benefit of all, including our partners in Nunavik,” he said in a press release on July 20.  

“Despite this, our goal remains the same: to come to an agreement that is mutually beneficial for all parties,” he added.  

Some mining activities are currently underway despite the labour dispute, Glencore said.  

The Raglan mine has been in operation for 25 years and is the largest producer of nickel in Quebec. In 2020, it produced 39,230 tonnes of nickel, 8,988 tonnes of copper and 827 tonnes of cobalt. The operation includes four underground mines called Kikialik, Qakimajurq, Katinniq and Mine 2.