Mexican integrated steelmaker Altos Hornos de Mexico (AHMSA) announced this week it has reached an agreement with the state of Durango and a local union to resume operations at its Cerro de Mercado iron ore mine, located in the city of Durango.
The mine belongs to AHMSA’s subsidiary, Minera del Norte (MINOSA), and was shut down on May 22, 2017, following protests led by union leader Napoleon Gomez Urrutia. AHMSA said at the time the protests led by Urrutia made the mine’s operations “too costly.”
AHMSA and the local union agreed to jointly work to resume operations. They agreed to dismiss 100 workers and look at ways to increase the mine’s efficiency under a new productive model; the workforce will now total 400 employees.