Hundreds of workers who were dismissed in 2007 by management of Tanzania's Bulyanhulu Gold Mine are in court challenging their dismissal, union officials said Tuesday.

Bulyanhulu is embroiled in a legal battle with 1,374 former workers who were dismissed for participating in an illegal strike in 2007 which hurt mining operations, the union officials said.

The dismissed workers petitioned the labor division of the Tanzanian court but lost the case in March 2008 and have taken the issue to the court of appeal.
Bulyanhulu, Tanzania's largest open pit gold mine, is owned by Barrick Tanzania Ltd. which is a unit of Canada-based Barrick Gold Corp.

Last week, Tanzania's court of appeal ruled in favor of the former workers allowing them to contest their dismissal. Tanzania's privately owned Guardian Newspaper reported Monday that the court of appeal unanimously declared the proceedings and ruling of the labor court null and consequently set them aside.

Teweli Teweli, spokesman for Barrick Tanzania Ltd., owners of the mine told Dow Jones Newswires Tuesday that the majority of dismissed workers had since been rehired.

According to Teweli, the court proceedings have not caused labor unrest at the mine and operations are going on normally.

Activists and politicians have in the past accused Barrick Tanzania Ltd. of adopting poor labor policies, a practice that has led to conflicts with workers and locals. Last week, the company closed one pit at its North Mara Gold mine citing increased costs caused by higher-than-expected operating costs due to frequent operational disruptions as a result of theft and vandalism of company property and equipment by locals.