STOCKHOLM, March 19 (Reuters) - Swedish miner and smelter Boliden said on Friday it would restart production at a copper smeltworks and refinery in Finland within days after port workers accepted a deal to end a costly strike.
Boliden had shut its Harjavalta copper refinery and smeltworks due to a lack of concentrates and said it would have to cut production at its Kokkola zinc smelter if the strike dragged on through next week.
But after Finnish stevedores and port operators accepted a new wage deal on Friday, Boliden said it would resume production at Harjavalta as soon as possible and cancel a planned work stoppage for workers.
'That is really good news,' said head of smelters Svante Nilsson. 'It takes a couple of days (to restart).'
Boliden customers had felt little impact from the closure of Harjavalta, and the company would recoup most of the financial loss, Nilsson said.
'A big strike like this is a headache, but we have managed the situation quite well, and we will be able to recover financially,' he said.
Finland's top industry body has estimated the strike has cost 100 million euros a day since it started on March 4, threatening a nascent recovery in the country's economy and hitting industries including forestry, electronics and metals.
(Editing by Will Waterman) Keywords: BOLIDEN/ (Stockholm Newsroom, tel: +46-8-700 1017, e-mail: stockholm.newsroom@reuters.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
Boliden had shut its Harjavalta copper refinery and smeltworks due to a lack of concentrates and said it would have to cut production at its Kokkola zinc smelter if the strike dragged on through next week.
But after Finnish stevedores and port operators accepted a new wage deal on Friday, Boliden said it would resume production at Harjavalta as soon as possible and cancel a planned work stoppage for workers.
'That is really good news,' said head of smelters Svante Nilsson. 'It takes a couple of days (to restart).'
Boliden customers had felt little impact from the closure of Harjavalta, and the company would recoup most of the financial loss, Nilsson said.
'A big strike like this is a headache, but we have managed the situation quite well, and we will be able to recover financially,' he said.
Finland's top industry body has estimated the strike has cost 100 million euros a day since it started on March 4, threatening a nascent recovery in the country's economy and hitting industries including forestry, electronics and metals.
(Editing by Will Waterman) Keywords: BOLIDEN/ (Stockholm Newsroom, tel: +46-8-700 1017, e-mail: stockholm.newsroom@reuters.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
