The union representing workers at Taseko Ltd.’s Gibraltar Mine north of Williams Lake said the layoffs announced last month have resulted in a total of 22 unionized employees being laid off.
“It’s been up and down,” said Ken Lewins, president of Unifor Local 3018 that represents 550 hourly employees at the mine. “At this point 17 people were laid off and five opted for lay-offs.”
When the lay-offs were announced at the mine on Jan. 19, the company said it was laying off 36 people, but because there were 14 job postings, some people were able to move into those vacant positions, Lewins said.
Taseko Ltd.’s vice-president Brian Battison confirmed last month the company was reducing its workforce by seven percent as a direct result of falling copper prices being at a five-and-a-half year low.
The company also laid off 21 management positions and about 20 contractors, Battison said.
