CMOC threatens dismissal to end illegal strike at Tenke Fungurume

Workers at Tenke Fungurume Mining, CMOC Group's flagship copper operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, returned to work after the company threatened dismissal for those who refused to end strike action that had disrupted production.

Employees at the mine began striking on 1 June in protest at a new collective bargaining agreement negotiated between TFM and a labour union delegation, which workers said excluded them from the discussions. They were seeking improved pay and conditions, including a housing allowance and better healthcare provision. TFM described the strike as illegal and said it had caused significant operational disruption.

A hard line from management

The company gave workers a deadline of the night of 3 June to return to their posts, warning that those who failed to comply would face immediate dismissal. Employees who had not participated in the strike were offered a $500 loyalty bonus, while pressure was applied to those who continued to stay away.

Labour tension in a booming sector

The dispute illustrated a recurring tension in the DRC's copper-cobalt sector: as copper prices rose and mine profits climbed, workers at operations such as Tenke Fungurume pushed harder for a larger share of the gains, while operators worried that concessions negotiated outside formal union channels could undermine established bargaining structures. TFM's uncompromising response — threatening dismissal rather than negotiating directly with striking workers — reflected the operational and financial stakes involved at a mine producing hundreds of thousands of tonnes of copper and cobalt a year, where even a short stoppage carries a significant cost. The episode added to a run of difficult headlines for CMOC in the DRC that year, coming alongside separate scrutiny of pollution and community impacts at the same mine. Tenke Fungurume's scale — one of the world's highest-grade copper-cobalt deposits and a mine CMOC has repeatedly flagged as central to its copper growth strategy — meant that even a brief, localised labour dispute drew attention well beyond the DRC's own borders.

Sources

• Miningmx: CMOC threatened dismissal after illegal strike, 09 Jun 2026

Photo: The Tenke Fungurume copper-cobalt mine complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mark Harkin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.