the world’s largest copper mine will go on strike

Union leaders and the company operating the mine, Minera Escondida, can engage in a final dialogue with the mediation of the government of Sebastien Piñera within five to ten days.

In the absence of an agreement in this case, a new strike would begin at the deposit located in the region of Antofagasta, in the north of the country, which produces around 1.1 million tonnes of copper per year.

The “overwhelming” result of the vote “once again demonstrates the great union consciousness of our bases, who were able to appreciate that this offer does not contain any progress in the legitimate demands of the workers,” the union said, the agency reported. . AFP News.

Workers are asking for a recognition bonus for their work during the coronavirus pandemic, “equivalent to 1% of the dividends owners have received”, which is paid only once.

They also require a career development plan and educational benefits for their children.

According to the union, Against the backdrop of a historic rise in the price of metal on international markets, Minera Escondida forecasts revenues of more than $ 10 billion this year.

Local media report that the company offered workers benefits worth around $ 23,000, including loans and bonds associated with various stocks.

“We hope that this strong vote will be the decisive wake-up call for BHP to begin substantive talks to reach satisfactory agreements, if it so wishes. avoid a long conflict, which could be the costliest in Chile’s trade union history“, added the union.

BHP is one of the largest mining companies in the world. Its origin comes from the merger (2001) of the Australian company Broken Hill Property (BHP) and the British company Billion.

Chile is the world’s largest producer of red metal, with some 5.6 million tonnes per year.

In 2017, workers at La Escondida staged a 44-day strike, the longest in Chilean mining history.

The strike generated $ 740 million in losses for the company and resulted in a contraction of around 1.3% of Chilean GDP.