By Caroline Van Hasselt
TORONTO--Rio Tinto Alcan, the Canadian aluminum-production unit of Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto PLC (RIO, RIO.LN), reached an agreement in principle with the union representing 780 aluminum smelter workers to end a six-month lockout at a Quebec smelter, the company said Monday.
The agreement was reached in early Monday-morning hours following a round of intense negotiations over the weekend, a Rio Tinto spokeswoman said. A provincial government labor official assisted the talks, she said.
The agreement will be presented to employees during a general assembly to be held over the next few days, she said.
She declined to provide details about the labor package.
The company locked out its workers at the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean smelter on New Year's Day.
The plant has been working at about a third of its capacity with about 220 managers, the spokeswoman said. Once the labor contract has been ratified, the company will restart operations and bring the facility back to full production.
Write to Caroline Van Hasselt at caroline.vanhasselt@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
July 02, 2012 11:34 ET (15:34 GMT)
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