GOLD: Iamgold suspends Rosebel after work stoppage, COVID cases

[caption id="attachment_1003739752" align="alignnone" width="660"] Iamgold's Rosebel gold mine in Suriname. Credit: Iamgold[/caption] TORONTO – A work stoppage at Iamgold's Rosebel gold mine in Suriname has forced the company to suspend operations as the mid-tier reports its first cases of COVID-19 at the mine. The company says seven personnel at the mine have tested positive for COVID-19. The workers have been quarantined and are receiving medical care. The work stoppage is related to measures Iamgold has implemented at the site to counter COVID-19, which have included physical distancing, sanitization protocols, a site access triage process, and reduction of the onsite workforce. In a release, Iamgold said the union has resisted one of the measures related to accommodations. “The Rosebel union has unfortunately chosen to use one of these preventative measures, which would support social distancing by reducing the number of people sharing accommodations, as the basis for a work stoppage,” reads the release. “Due to union resistance to the implementation of COVID-19 control measures, we are suspending operations until the appropriate controls are in place to protect the safety of all employees.” Rosebel produced 251,000 attributable ounces of gold last year; the government of Suriname owns a 5% interest in the mine. For more information, visit http://iamgold.com.