"CMOC Congo Copper Mine Offers Bonuses, Threats to Stop Strike", Bloomberg, 5 Jun 2026

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s biggest copper mine said it would fire employees who refused to end strike action that briefly crimped output this week, while promising bonuses to those who didn’t participate.

Workers at Chinese mining giant CMOC Group Ltd.’s Tenke Fungurume Mining unit began a strike on June 1. [...]

Employees at the mine decided to protest a new collective bargaining agreement negotiated between TFM and a labor union delegation, Radio Okapi reported this week. The workers said they were excluded from the discussions and are seeking better pay conditions, including a housing allowance and improved healthcare, [...].

TFM, in a letter to employees and contractors seen by Bloomberg News, said that the “illegal” strike “has had a significant impact on the company’s operations, leading to a disruption of production.”

Workers that weren’t involved in the strike will receive a “loyalty bonus” of $500 [...].

TFM gave employees a deadline of last Wednesday night to return to their posts, saying those who complied would face no sanctions, while those who didn’t would be “subject to immediate dismissal proceedings.”

Striking employees have resumed work and operations are back to normal, TFM said by email.

TFM has begun an internal investigation to identify individuals responsible for aggression against colleagues and damaging company equipment, and will transfer findings to the Congolese authorities, according to the letter.