Newmont, the world’s largest gold mining company, last week axed its North American Vice-President, Dan Janney, for non-compliance to its vaccination policy to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rob Atkinson, Newmont Chief Operating Officer on Janney’s firing, said, “Dan has advised that he will not support or promote the company’s position with respect to COVID-19 vaccination, and therefore he is no longer working for the company.”

Mark Rodgers, Newmont’s Perth-based Vice-President productivity, has assumed the role with immediate effect. Prior to this, Rodgers had been with Rio Tinto in a number of leadership positions. 

The compulsory emphasis on the COVID-19 vaccination has been put by Newmont because of the spread of coronavirus in WA's Boddington mine south of Perth and the Tanami mine in the Northern Territory last month. It forced 700 workers into a 14-day, on-site quarantine period.

Atkinson strongly recommended everybody to get vaccinated as soon as it is available and said that Newmont will continue supporting government and community vaccination efforts.