Barrick Reaches Deal With Mali Miners, Averts Strike

Canada’s Barrick Mining has resolved a major labour dispute in Mali after signing a new collective bargaining agreement with unions representing workers at the Loulo-Gounkoto gold mine, effectively calling off a planned strike.

A company spokesperson confirmed the agreement on Sunday, and union officials verified that workers across multiple operational entities reached a consensus after intense negotiations.

Union representative Bani Sacko confirmed the cancellation of the industrial action, saying Monday’s discussions addressed the workforce’s concerns.

“On Monday the 21st, after a meeting, an agreement was reached, and the strike action has since been called off. Apparently, all the other strike actions have also been called off,” Sacko stated.

The dispute originally involved 15 key demands, including overtime compensation, mission expense reimbursements, and the strict implementation of existing labour agreements across mining and support contractors.

Abdoulaye Coulibaly of the National Union of Malian Workers echoed the resolution, confirming, “The strike threat has been resolved.”

The agreement covers employees at Somilo SA, Gounkoto SA, and support contractor Food & Events Africa.

This resolution provides stability to one of Africa’s top gold producers, following recent regulatory tightening by Mali’s military leadership under its 2023 mining code and a broader profit-sharing dispute with Barrick that concluded late last year.