GEORGETOWN, Guyana — United Company RusAl has terminated a labor agreement with a union for 600 workers in Guyana amid a crippling protest over pay, officials said Thursday.
RusAl, the world's largest producer of alumina and aluminum, said it no longer recognizes the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union, a move that union leaders say is illegal. Labor Minister Manzoor Nadir said he will order mandatory arbitration by the weekend because bauxite is a crucial industry for the South American country.
RusAl said the strike that started Nov. 21 has forced it to temporarily close its plant and divert ships elsewhere as they arrive to collect bauxite.
Union leaders say RusAl's Bauxite Company of Guyana has failed to follow through on a promise to increase wages by 10 percent. The company recently said it dismissed 56 strikers for bad behavior.
RusAl officials said Thursday in Moscow that they signed a deal to restructure the company's $17 billion in debt, allowing it to pay it off in seven years.
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