Koidu Limited Fires Staff Without Benefits

Reports reaching this medium indicated that, the management of Koidu Limited has terminated the employment of one of its workers, Victor John, allegedly on grounds of gross misconduct related to his participation of the strike at the company’s mining site. According to a dismissal letter that was allegedly handed over to Mr. John at the Koidu Mining Site, indicated that, his employment officially ended on March 3, 2025, which marked his last working day. The company said the dismissal was made without notice and without entitlement to any further pay or benefits. Our sources further indicated that, Koidu Limited stated that employees had been repeatedly instructed to call off the illegal industrial strike action and to return to work, adding that, these instructions came both from the company and the Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security (MELSS) in statements issued on March 12 and March 20. However, workers allegedly refused to comply, resulting in the company halting its operations and transitioning into a care and maintenance phase. The company, according to our sources cited serious breaches of employment policies, including 11 consecutive days of absence, as grounds for summary dismissal. It emphasized that participation in illegal strikes is a violation of both the company’s internal rules and national labor laws. Under the Industrial Relations & Trade Union Act 2023, any strike action must be preceded by a 21-day notice, issued through a registered trade union with a valid bargaining certificate. Koidu claims that the strike action taken by employees, including Mr. John, failed to meet these legal standards. Additionally, Koidu referred to its Collective Bargaining Agreement (2022–2025), which prohibits negotiations while illegal strikes are underway. Despite appeals from both the company and MELSS to resume work and allow for negotiations, the workers allegedly continued their protest action, prompting the disciplinary response. Koidu Limited has reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing discipline and maintaining operational compliance with both internal policies and national regulations. All efforts made to get the response of Victor John who was allegedly sacked by the management of Koidu Limited have proven futile.