Workers could strike at Chile's Sierra Gorda copper mine – union
SANTIAGO – A union at Chile's Sierra Gorda copper mine, controlled by Polish mining company KGHM, could go on strike this week after rejecting the latest offer in contract negotiations, the union leader told Reuters on Monday.
The company still has until the end of Tuesday to request government mediation to help reach a deal with the union of 520 workers.
"I hope they will be ready to have an agreement because at this moment there are zero conversations," said Maykel Ocayo, president of Sierra Gorda's Union 1.
Ocayo said the sticking point was the amount designated for a signing bonus. He added that the firm had promised the workers it would request the government mediation in case the offer was not approved.
A company representative was not immediately available for comment.
Sierra Gorda's Union 2 has already accepted the terms of the new contract.
KGHM took control of Sierra Gorda in 2011 when it bought the Canadian company Quadra FNX for $2.1-billion. KGHM owns 55% of the mine, while Sumitomo Metal Mining owns 31.5% and Sumitomo Corporation has 13.5%.
Sierra Gorda produced 101 900 t of Chile's 5.8-million-tonne total copper output last year.
Comments
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation