By Alhaji Haruna Sani
First Lady Fatima Bio leading a protest in Kono
Koidu Holdings, a major mining company operating in Sierra Leone has announced an immediate suspension of production, transitioning into a “care and maintenance” phase due to unresolved industrial action and concerns over employee safety.
The company cited violations of the Industrial Relations and Trade Union Act, 2024, and Employment Act, 2023, as well as alleged political interference, particularly in the ongoing labour dispute.
In an official notice, the company stated that the strike action by workers was illegal, as it did not adhere to statutory requirements, including formal notification and compliance with the provisions outlined in the Industrial Relations and Trade Union Act, 2024.
Additionally, the company alleged reports indicate that employees willing to return to work are facing intimidation and threats, creating an unsafe working environment.
The company emphasized its repeated efforts to resolve the matter through the Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security, but the dispute remains unsettled.
Citing the Mines and Minerals Development Act, 2022, the company asserted its right to suspend production under emergency circumstances, blaming external political interference for further exacerbating the situation.
It specifically accused the First Lady of discouraging workers from resuming their duties.
The decision to suspend operations has sparked widespread reactions, including from prominent Sierra Leonean lawyer and activist Yasmin Jusu-Sheriff. In a Facebook post, she criticized what she described as the First Lady’s “bungling and incompetent interference” in foreign direct investment, arguing that her actions undermined President Bio’s years of efforts to attract investors.
“If this post is true, then only a fool would be surprised by this outcome of Fatima Bio’s bungling and incompetent attempts to interfere with foreign direct investment and investors that our President has spent eight years of incessant foreign travel and vast sums of poor Sierra Leoneans’ money trying to drum up,” Jusu-Sheriff wrote.
She further lamented what she called a “squandering of national time and resources” and criticized the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) for failing to prevent one individual from derailing crucial industrial relations.
Jusu-Sheriff also questioned the absence of a strong response from the opposition All People’s Congress (APC), stating that they were too preoccupied with internal disputes to address the crisis affecting miners and their families.
The company called for immediate government intervention to restore a lawful and safe working environment, allowing for the resumption of operations.
