Greater Sudbury Northern Life
Greater Sudbury retailers will be happy to learn that Vale Inco has sent out its nickel bonus just in time for Christmas shopping.
“Vale Inco sent out its nickel bonus for the third quarter recently,” said Angie Robson, manager of external relations for Vale Inco.
“The nickel bonus is a complicated formula but it is generally based on the amount of hours worked by an employee, the average price of nickel in that quarter, and whether the company was profitable that quarter,” said Robson.
The next nickel bonus is based on the fourth quarter which ends at the end of December. Robson could not speculate on whether there would be a nickel bonus at that time.
Xstrata Nickel was unable to provide the same for its employees this quarter, the first time since the mid-1990s, said Richard Paquin, Mine Mill and Smelter Workers Local 598/CAW nickel unit chair.
Nickel bonuses are not given to salary workers at Xstrata, he said.
