Reko Diq Mining Company reaffirmed its commitment to ensure employment to local youth, as reported that 78 percent of the current workforce of the company is from Balochistan, with over 50 percent of those employees hailing from the Chagai district.
The RDMC has rejected the news circulating on local social media about the employees and contractors of Reko Diq Mining Company (RDMC), and clarified the facts and set the record straight, said a news release.
“The false claims being spread are misleading and do not reflect the reality of Reko Diq’s operations,” it added. “Additionally, RDMC is actively working to nurture local talent by providing essential skills and training to ensure that the communities in and around the Reko Diq project are well-equipped to secure employment—not only with RDMC and its contractors, but also in the broader workforce in the province and the country.”
During the peak construction phase of the project, it is estimated that up to 7,500 individuals will be engaged. Upon entering production, the project will generate approximately 4,000 long-term jobs for the local community.
In partnership with the Hunar Foundation, RDMC is training hundreds of young Baloch men and women from the Nokkundi area in certified skills such as IT, pipefitting, office assistance, electrical work, carpentry, and masonry.
“Graduates have been successfully matched with job opportunities at our contractors and RDMC. Since 2023, the International Graduate Program (IGP) has sponsored young Baloch graduates, including those from the Chagai District, to gain work experience at Barrick’s operations abroad, with the expectation that they will return to Reko Diq equipped with necessary skills to fill senior and managerial roles in the future.
Due to the lack of a broad industrial sector in Chagai and Balochistan, the local skills base will not always be sufficient to staff every role at what will be one of the largest and most technologically advanced copper-and-gold mines in the world.
RDMC is working tirelessly to address these skill shortages so that we can hire more local workers while maintaining the world-class standards required for the project.
However, the misinformation and false statements being disseminated could potentially jeopardize the safety of our people and operations this is completely unacceptable.
“The company, which is 50 percent owned by the governments of Balochistan and Pakistan, will take all available legal action in response to such incidents. Ensuring the safety of our employees will always be our top priority.”
RDMC is equally committed to prioritize local suppliers whenever they can meet the necessary quality and commercial requirements of a world-class mining operation, sometimes with our assistance.
Over the past two years (2023 and 2024), RDMC has awarded contracts valued at Rs 2 billion to suppliers from the Chagai district, and Rs4.1 billion to suppliers across Balochistan.
RDMC has investing in and ramping up programs to train and unskilled local businesses to ensure more procurement opportunities within Chagai, Balochistan.
RDMC’s operator, Barrick, has a proven track record of partnering with and fostering local suppliers worldwide, and applying these same principles and experiences at Reko Diq.