Antofagasta, union begin mediation to avoid strike
SANTIAGO - Chilean copper mining company Antofagasta and workers at its Centinela mine on Tuesday began a government mediation process after contract talks failed, a last resort before the union could go on strike.
The nearly 400 employees represented by a Centinela workers union last month overwhelmingly rejected a contract proposal from Antofagasta, causing the company to request mediation from the Chilean government.
The union is looking to make up for lower production-linked bonuses and to improve working conditions, according to union leader Luis Redlich.
"This process is a double play, making talks very complex and making people willing to go as far as it takes and begin a strike if necessary," Redlich said, adding that the union was "always willing to talk."
The mediation process will last for five days, but can be extended another five if both parties agree.
Antofagasta declined to comment on the negotiations but said that "dialogue with our unions is the way to reach agreements."
The miner was set to invest $3.7-billion at Centinela, but CEO Ivan Arriagada said in June the company was re-evaluating the expense after Chile's government upped mining royalties.
"(Copper) price estimates are high, and they're going to stay that way," Redlich said. "Investments are going to go the same way. They have to make a decision this year, but that has to go hand-in-hand with agreements made with workers."
In 2022, Centinela produced 247 600 metric tons of copper, according to data from the state agency Cochilco.
Comments
Research Reports
Projects
Latest News
Showroom
Booyco Electronics, South African pioneer of Proximity Detection Systems, offers safety solutions for underground and surface mining, quarrying,...
VISIT SHOWROOM
ISO-certified Condra manufactures overhead cranes, portal cranes, cantilever cranes and crane components: hoists, drives, end-carriages, brakes and...
VISIT SHOWROOM
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
