Chilean union, BHP kick off labour talks at world's largest copper mine
The union of workers for BHP's sprawling Escondida mine said on Friday it had delivered an initial proposal for a new collective labor contract, marking the opening salvo in much-watched negotiations at the world's largest copper deposit.
BHP confirmed receipt of the proposal in a brief statement on Friday. The company now has 10 days to respond to the union.
The fresh negotiations at Escondida come as copper prices have spiked amid soaring demand and tight supply for the red metal, handing workers additional leverage as they enter into the high-profile talks.
"This negotiation takes place in a highly favorable economic environment for the industry, which is estimated to be projected over time," the union said in a statement.
The union has requested a one-time signing bonus equivalent to "1% of dividends paid to the mine's owners" - BHP, Rio Tinto and Jeco Corporation - plus a 5% salary increase, a "just and objective" system of career of development, and ongoing merit-based worker bonuses.
"Our Union will undertake this process knowing that the result affects not only the company and the workers, but also the country in general," adding that there "there is no reason why BHP cannot make good on our requests."
A separate union of BHP's remote operations workers who service Escondida and the smaller Spence mine have been on strike since last Thursday, contributing to a charged environment at the company's operations.
That strike has yet to impact production, BHP said earlier this week.
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