BHP Billiton Diamonds Wins Community Impact Award

BHP Billiton, owner and operator of the Canadian Ekati diamond mine, has won the Canada Export Award 2005 for Community Impact. The awards recognize the success of Canadian companies that export their products and services to markets around the world and make significant contributions to the country's economy.

BHP owns 80 percent of the Ekati diamond mine, Canada's first diamond producer, and reportedly produces 7 percent by value and 4 percent by volume of the world's diamonds.

The news comes on the heels of a dispute with aboriginal workers at the diamond mine. The unionized workers have rejected a collective agreement earlier this month saying it lacked key elements such as seniority, pay raises and wage disparities issues.

The most touted issue by the aboriginals, who make up about 60 percent of the unionized workers, is a claim that they face discrimination. According to Jean-Francois Des Lauriers, VP of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, “Their performance evaluations are harsher, their chances for promotions are less than the other employees and they feel that they are being discriminated against.”

The company did not make any public comments about the workers' claims or their rejection of the contract.

Some of Ekati’s goods are sold in Canada to local manufacturers. The reminder is sold through BHP’s rough diamond sales office located in Antwerp.