Workers at Tenke Fungurume Mining (TFM), launched a strike on 1 June to protest a newly negotiated collective bargaining agreement, arguing that workers had been excluded from the discussions and demanding improved pay, housing allowances, and healthcare benefits. In response, TFM characterized the strike as illegal and stated that it had disrupted production, while taking steps that persuading individual workers to end the industrial action. These measures included offering a US$500 "loyalty bonus" to employees who did not participate in the strike, providing larger payments to those who reportedly faced intimidation for continuing to work, setting a deadline for striking employees to return to their posts, and warning that those who failed to comply could face immediate dismissal proceedings. TFM also announced internal investigations into alleged acts of aggression and equipment damage linked to the strike.