LES CONSÉQUENCES DE LA COVID-19 POUR L’EMPLOI DANS LE SECTEUR MINIER

The document analyzes how COVID-19 disrupted the mining sector through supply chain failures, reduced demand, and health-related closures. It highlights the vulnerability of non-permanent workers and local SMEs, while noting that automation may accelerate as a risk-mitigation strategy. The author recommends transitioning from general to targeted support, updating health and safety regulations, and investing in worker retraining to build long-term resilience against future 'black swan' events.

• The mining sector's impact on employment varies by scale; while large-scale mining is capital-intensive and typically contributes only 1% to 2% of a country's total employment, it serves as a critical primary employer and service provider in rural or remote regions.
• Employment risks are distributed unevenly across the mining value chain, with the construction phase being the most labor-intensive and vulnerable to disruptions. For example, a 15-day quarantine in Peru led to the demobilization of at least 8,000 out of 10,000 construction workers at Anglo American's Quellaveco project.
• Worker vulnerability is heavily influenced by professional status and national legislation. While 'essential personnel' and remote workers maintained salaries, others faced the 'no work, no pay' principle. Contractual workers, including Fly-in Fly-Out (FIFO) and migrant workers, are particularly exposed due to a lack of social safety nets.
• The pandemic has caused significant capital expenditure reductions among major mining firms. Glencore planned to reduce spending from 5.5 billion USD to 4 or 4.5 billion USD, while Rio Tinto and Anglo American each reduced their forecasts by at least 1 billion USD.
• COVID-19 may accelerate the adoption of labor-saving technologies and automation to reduce future operational risks. Evidence of this resilience is seen in the automated mines of Pilbara in Australia and the Syama mine in Mali, where production continued uninterrupted.
• Local Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the mining supply chain face high risks of insolvency due to lower capital reserves and reduced orders. To mitigate this, some companies implemented accelerated payments or loan suspensions, such as Petra Diamonds, Anglo American, and Exxaro in South Africa.

APA

Ramdoo, I. (2020). LES CONSÉQUENCES DE LA COVID-19 POUR L’EMPLOI DANS LE SECTEUR MINIER. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-08/covid-19-employment-mining-fr_0.pdf

Chicago

Ramdoo, Isabelle. LES CONSÉQUENCES DE LA COVID-19 POUR L’EMPLOI DANS LE SECTEUR MINIER. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2020. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-08/covid-19-employment-mining-fr_0.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ramdoo |first1=Isabelle |title=LES CONSÉQUENCES DE LA COVID-19 POUR L’EMPLOI DANS LE SECTEUR MINIER |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=June 2020 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-08/covid-19-employment-mining-fr_0.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ramdoo2020les, author = {Ramdoo, Isabelle}, title = {{LES CONSÉQUENCES DE LA COVID-19 POUR L’EMPLOI DANS LE SECTEUR MINIER}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2020}, month = jun, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-08/covid-19-employment-mining-fr_0.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }