Chile's Spence copper mine back in operation after strike
SANTIAGO - BHP´s Spence copper mine was operating normally again following a union strike announced earlier on Wednesday, the company said.
Union President Ronald Salcedo told Reuters early on Wednesday that about 50 workers had been laid off, in addition to eight supervisors, raising safety concerns for the mine's remaining workers and prompting the walk-off.
BHP later confirmed in a statement that it had fired 57 workers, including mine operators, supervisors and maintenance workers, but said the mine was again operating normally.
The Spence deposit near the Chilean coastal city of Antofagasta is BHP's second largest in Chile, after its sprawling Escondida copper mine, the world's largest.
BHP has said it will spend nearly $2.5-billion to extend the life of the Spence deposit by more than 50 years, creating up to 5 000 jobs and bringing new output online in 2021.
"These layoffs are strange given that costs are under control at the mine and even more so given that the company is pushing the upgrade project, which should mean contracting more workers," Salcedo said.
BHP said the layoffs were the result of a review of "its operational situation, processes and the resources necessary to conduct its operations safely and sustainably over time."
Spence produced 198 600 t of copper in 2017.
Comments
The
content
you are trying to access is only available to subscribers.
If you are already a subscriber, you can Login Here.
If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now, by selecting one of the below options.
For more information or assistance, please contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za.
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