Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

SLN worried about New Caledonia situation as losses pile up

Posted at 03:17 on 18 December, 2006 UTC

The SLN nickel company in New Caledonia says it has lost more than 100 million US dollars as a result of strikes and blockades launched in late September.

The leadership of SLN, which is a subsidiary of the French Eramet concern, says it’s very concerned about the social situation surrounding its operations in New Caledonia.

The CSTNC union has been on strike over a range of grievances, including the hiring of Filipinos by another nickel conglomerarate being set up south of Noumea.

SLN has no Filipino employees but has been hit by disruptions that have left three of of its four ore mines shut.