The union of the largest copper mine in Chile threatens the "imminent" strike

A new strike in Escondida, the largest copper mine in the world, in northern Chile, is "imminent", after the leadership of its main union rejected the latest proposal from the BHP control firm.

"The strike is imminent, to find with the company," said AFP Saturday Carlos Allendes, one of the union spokesmen.

The shutdown would affect the production of a deposit that produces about 5% of the world's copper.

This Saturday, after almost six weeks of negotiations with the Anglo-Australian BHP, the 2,500 or so members of the largest mining union have begun the formal vote to approve or reject the latest proposal from the company. . The vote will end on August 1st.

But union leaders have already rejected the proposal and in previous assemblies, workers have also agreed to assume this position. "Our" old "(as they are commonly called among the miners in Chile) understood that it was a bad offer and that it was clearly shown that he was rejecting it," added the spokesperson for the union. to a mediation in which the direction of the work will intervene. But if an agreement is not reached in this case, the union could trigger a new strike, as was the case last year when workers paralyzed the company for 44 days, generating millions of losses for the company and the country.

We have made an effort as a business and we hope that our workers will enjoy it, "said Patricio Vilaplana, vice president of business affairs of Escondida, after The company presented its latest proposal on Tuesday.

sure that the vast majority of workers be, that is why we expect them to make an informed decision, "added the executive of BHP.

But Allendes replied: "In this offer, there is an intention to harm us and to harm us. "According to him, the proposal represents, for example, a deterioration of health benefits.

" The offer is bad, so the rejection goes ", he added.

The union petition is considering a wage increase for the union, 5% and a 4% dividend bonus that shareholders received last year (about $ 34,000 per worker).

In negotiations, the company increased its offer initial of 13.5 million Chilean pesos to 15 million ($ 23,000) of a bargaining term bonus for each worker.

– Potential losses –

The future of the labor dispute at Escondida put pressure on the international copper price last week.

The metal traded Friday at $ 2.8 a pound on the London Metal Exchange, recovering ground after several weeks of decline due to fears of a trade war between the United States and China, first buyer

Escondida is one of the most profitable mining companies in the world. Its profits last year were $ 1.192 million, an increase of 20% over the previous year despite the longest strike in the Chilean mining history.

The shutdown of 2017 generated losses of $ 740 million to the company and defeat the march of the local economy, in the country that concentrates close to $ 500,000. one third of the world copper supply.

Product of this paralysis, Escondida copper production was reduced by 16% to 1,300 tons, stopping to produce 214 tons of red metal

Chile is the largest copper producer in the world with an annual output of about 5.6 million tons.

The mine is located about 170 km southeast of Antofagasta, in the desert of Atacama (northern Chile), at 3,100 meters