Workers at Codelco's Chuquicamata copper mine in Chile walk off job
SANTIAGO – Workers at Codelco's Chuquicamata copper mine in Chile, the state miner's second largest by output, walked off the job on Monday morning in protest at the "unjustified layoff" of two workers, union leaders told Reuters.
Chuquicamata Union No. 1, 2, and 3, as well as Antofagasta Union No. 1 agreed to cease operations and blocked access to the mine early Monday morning, according to the union leaders and an internal communication viewed by Reuters.
"All of the unions have ceased operations," said Liliana Ugarte, president of Union No. 2 at Chuquicamata. "How long the walk-off lasts depends on how negotiations go with management."
Codelco, the world's top copper miner, declined to comment on the situation.
The walk-off comes as workers at BHP's Escondida mine, Chile's biggest by output, last week rejected the company's final contract offer, raising the specter of labor action at two of the largest copper mines in Chile, the world's top copper producer.
Unions at Codelco's Chuquicamata have protested for months over plans to transform the century-old open pit into an underground mine.
Workers say Codelco's plans to overhaul the operation - a key part of its $39-billion 10-year drive to update its aging deposits - failed to address the concerns of the division's nearly 5 664 workers.
Codelco signed 27-month contracts in December 2016 with six Chuquicamata unions after relatively rapid talks but the labor situation has worsened recently as the mine overhaul encounters delays for technical reasons and rising costs.
Chuquicamata produced 330 900 t of copper in 2017, out of Codelco's total of 1.734-million tonnes.
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