Oyu Tolgoi LLC would like to correct misleading statements that appeared in the press last week.
The claim was made that 2,600 Chinese workers are currently employed at the underground mine.
Oyu Tolgoi does have contracts with several Chinese companies and these companies do have some 2,600 Chinese workers at Oyu Tolgoi site. These Chinese workers are employed on temporary contracts, for the construction of the concentrator building, which is expected to take another 18 months. The Chinese contractors will then return home.
The underground mine is part of the permanent mine operations and currently employs 200 Mongolian nationals, out of 3,200 Mongolians working at the site, who are being trained to be part of the permanent underground work force. The Mongolian nationals employed at the underground mine make up 79 per cent of the underground workforce, while the remaining employees are Canadian supervisors and trainers. The underground operations are considered a role model for the rest of the mine operations to copy as they move from the construction phase into the operating phase of the Oyu Tolgoi project.
Under the Memorandum of Understanding signed last Friday with the Ministry of Labour and Ministry of Education, Oyu Tolgoi will provide funding for the training of 3,300 Mongolian nationals over three years to provide a pool of trained personnel that are expected to find employment in mining, construction and other development projects.
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