Sherritt to temporarily lay off nearly half of Canadian workforce

Sherritt International Corp. has announced it will temporarily lay off nearly half of its Canadian staff. The company stated the layoffs are expected to last about 90 days as it works to restore operations at its refinery in Alberta.

Workforce and Operations

According to Sherritt, the company is temporarily laying off about 280 employees, which represents 47 per cent of its Canadian work force.

While the layoffs are underway, the company says some work will continue during the layoff period. This ongoing work includes:

• Production and sales of ammonia fertilizer and sulphuric acid
• Maintenance
• Continuing environmental protection and safety work

Refinery and Mine Status

The company previously shut down refining operations at its mill in Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., earlier this year. This shutdown occurred when feed inventory from its Moa mine in Cuba ran out.

Operations at the Moa joint venture were paused because Cuba faced fuel shortages after the U.S. cut off access to oil from Venezuela in January.

Last month, Sherritt said it received a licence from the U.S. government authorizing the purchase and delivery of fuel to its Moa mine and processing operations in Cuba. The company stated that this licence is the first of a series of emergency licences that will be necessary for it to be able to restart operations.

Why it matters

The temporary reduction in the Canadian workforce is tied to the company's efforts to restore its refining operations in Alberta following the depletion of feed inventory from its mining operations in Cuba.

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Sources

• thespec.com: Sherritt to temporarily layoff nearly half of its Canadian workforce
• theglobeandmail.com: Sherritt to temporarily lay off 280 employees, almost half of Canadian staff - The Globe and Mail

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.