The Voisey’s Bay mine will only allow 200 workers on site who are considered essential workers.
It’s been a month since Vale’s Voisey’s Bay in Northern Labrador was slowed down, but it could several months more before operations can begin to get back to normal.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, operations were ramped down in March to protect workers.
The mine went down from 900 workers last month to only about 200.
Heavy equipment operators, catering services and operators are among the couple hundred workers at the site making sure its maintained.
Employees who are not working are still getting paid, but wages might lower then what they’re used to.
Matthew Pike, Aboriginal Affairs Superintendant with Voisey’s Bay says the Canadian Emergency wage subsidy is being used to help pay employees.
“For the next 4 weeks (for) employees of Vale and those of our contractors, we’ll provide 90% of base wages, the next 4 weeks after that 80% base wages and 4 weeks after that 70% of base wages, Pike says.
Despite lower wages Pike adds that most employees understand, but many just want things to go back to normal.
“People want to come back to work; people want some kind of normalcy in their lives, but understanding that were not in the position to do that right now. Certainly a reduction of wages is not something anybody want to do, but its where we find ourselves in right now, he said.
Normalcy may not come till the summer but with things changing so rapidly, Pike said a lot is up in the air.
“Every day was re-evaluating that, we’re confident that we’ll have a lot more information before July 1, but there’s no guarantee with all of this, he said.
“As everybody knows you look at where were a month ago in terms of COVID-19, and July 1 in the grand scheme of things is far out there.
Pike adds that Vale will hold off any construction or work until things are able to safely resume.
Courtesy CBC,NL.