LONDON --Production at the Friguia alumina refinery, operated by Rusal, is back to normal following the end to a nationwide strike in the Republic of Guinea, a Rusal spokeswoman said Monday.
"Production was back to normal on Sunday," Rusal's Vera Kurochkina told Dow Jones Newswires.
The refinery, which produces 780,000 metric tons a year, had cut its output by less than 10% as a result of the strike.
The 17-day strike ended Sunday after union leaders reached a deal with the government. The strike was aimed at toppling the country's long-ruling president, Lansana Conte, who seized power in a 1984 coup and refused to step down in spite of rumors of ill health. Conte has now agreed to appoint a prime minister, a key demand of union leaders who argue the president is unfit to oversee the government.
Last week, Rusal said reduced production at Friguia wouldn't affect its output of aluminum metal at its smelters as the company had contingency plans in place.
The refinery is part of Rusal's Alumina Company of Guinea, which has an annual bauxite capacity of 2.8 million tons. Also in Guinea, Rusal is the manager of the Compagnie de Bauxite de Kindia bauxite mining complex, which has an estimated capacity of 3 million tons a year.
Guinea, a key bauxite producer along with Australia and Jamaica, dominates African production of the raw material. The west African nation contains 30% of the world's reserves and accounts for 94% of African bauxite production.
Four tons of bauxite make two tons of alumina which in turn is smelted to produce one ton of aluminum.
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