Luoyang Molybdenum’s (CMOC) TFM copper mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo broke out in a strike on June 1, with workers demanding higher pay, housing allowances, and improved medical insurance after being excluded from collective bargaining. The company used a combination of a “$500 retention bonus” and “immediate dismissal of strikers” as both incentives and pressure, setting a deadline for returning to work on the evening of June 3; the strike has now ended and production has returned to normal. Luoyang Molybdenum, the operator of the large TFM copper mine in the DRC, said it will dismiss employees who refuse to end the strike. The strike briefly affected the mine’s capacity earlier this week, and the company also promised bonuses to employees who did not participate in the strike.

Workers at TFM Mining, a subsidiary of Chinese mining giant Luoyang Molybdenum, launched a strike on June 1. The large mine produced 519,000 tonnes of copper last year, accounting for about 15% of the DRC’s total copper output. According to a report by Congo’s Okapi Radio this week, the strike was triggered by TFM Mining reaching a new collective labor agreement with union representatives through negotiations, which the workers protested. The UN-supported news agency said the workers were not involved in the agreement negotiations and are now demanding improved remuneration, additional housing allowances, and better medical coverage.

Bloomberg saw a public letter the company sent to all employees and contractors. The letter said the illegal strike has seriously disrupted normal operations and caused production interruptions.

Over the past decade, a large amount of Chinese investment has driven a substantial increase in the DRC’s copper output, helping the country become the world’s second-largest copper supplier, with copper prices now near record highs. Driven by electric vehicles, renewable energy, power grid construction, and the development of AI infrastructure, global copper demand is expected to continue rising rapidly in the future.

TFM Mining said in the letter that employees who did not participate in the strike can receive a $500 loyalty bonus; those who were attacked for refusing to participate in the strike will have their bonus doubled to $1,000, in recognition of their courage and loyalty in staying at their posts. The company also said it will take workers’ reasonable demands seriously.

The company set a deadline requiring all employees to return to work on the evening of June 3: those who return on time will not face any penalties, while those who refuse to return after the deadline will immediately have dismissal procedures initiated. TFM Mining confirmed by email that all striking workers have now returned to work and production operations have returned to normal. A Luoyang Molybdenum spokesperson also confirmed the strike has ended and said the strike’s impact on capacity was minimal.

The public letter also mentioned that the company has launched an internal investigation to track down those who attacked colleagues and damaged company equipment, and will hand the investigation results over to local DRC law enforcement authorities.

Luoyang Molybdenum also owns another mine in the DRC, Kisanfu. Last year, the two mines together produced nearly 750,000 tonnes of copper, and they are also core global sources of cobalt, a power battery metal.