Zambian copper and cobalt company, Mopani Coppper Mines, announced that it has reached an agreement with its unions to defer negotiations for a 2009 contract to July. According to union officials, the reason behind the deferral is the current economic slowdown. The union hopes the extra time will allow Mopani to make a better offer if global commodity prices stabilize. Workers have been seeking wage increases and improved working conditions in talks that began last November, but sharp decreases in metal prices have made reaching an agreement much more difficult. Mopani said last week that it will also cut jobs due to the price drop.
See "DJ Zambia MCM Defers Labor Talks To July On Econ Crisis - Union", Market Watch, February 23, 2009