The Otjikoto B2Gold Mine, situated outside Otjiwarongo in the Otjozondjupa Region, on Tuesday, confirmed the suspension of its more than 160 workers, who allegedly took part in an illegal work stoppage at the mine. 

In a media statement issued Tuesday afternoon to Nampa, Otjikoto B2Gold Mine stated that the dispute is about the validity of the continuous operations permit that it renewed with the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation in January 2021. 

The continuous operations permit allows the company to operate non-stop as employees rotate using a shift roster, and it is only sourced from the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations, and Employment Creation. 

The statement further indicated that the suspended employees on September 30, 2022, made a decision to stop working their shifts, claiming that the company never possessed a valid continuous operations permit from the ministry, despite the assurance by the company that it had the valid permit. 

"The employees are suspended indefinitely from 01 October 2022. However, the company continues to be open to discussions," reads the statement.

Otjikoto B2Gold Mine Namibia, by December 2021, had a total of 871 permanent employees and 51 temporary workers.