McClean Lake Employees Given Layoff Notices

McClean Lake Employees Given Layoff Notices

Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 15:05

Nearly 50 people were permanently laid off yesterday at Areva Resources’ McClean Lake uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan.

The company expects to lay off 40 to 50 more employees over the next month, primarily at McClean Lake, but also at its Saskatoon office.

Company spokesman Alun Richards says most of the affected workers are in the mining department — and include heavy equipment operators, geologists, and technicians.

Richards says slightly more than half of those laid off are northerners.

He says these workers were set to start mining an open pit, but the company decided it was no longer economical.

Richards says the company is going to try and find positions for some of those laid off or explore other opportunities such as education, because he says some of the employees have been with Areva for a long time.

The layoffs take effect immediately.