https://www.miningweekly.com

Workers at BHP's Escondida mine in Chile reject offer, threaten strike

25th November 2022

By: Reuters

  

Font size: - +

SANTIAGO - Some 2 000 workers at Chile's Escondida mine, the world's largest copper deposit, have turned down BHP's offer to settle a labor dispute and could stop work on November 28 and 30 if their demands are not met, their union said on Thursday.

BHP announced earlier this week that it had reached a deal with the union to avert a work stoppage over safety issues, but the agreement had to be ratified by the workers represented by the Sindicato No. 1 union at the Australian company's mine in northern Chile.

"The assemblies together with the board of directors decided to reject the company's proposal," the union said in a statement, adding that its members considered proposed security measures to be "insufficient" and wanted "concrete and verifiable" measures like joint inspections of work areas.

"In addition, immediate compliance with other measures due to legal violations will be insisted on," the statement said. "In the event that these requirements are not accepted, the Union will carry out the strike on Monday, November 28 and Wednesday, November 30, 2022."

In a statement, the company said a stoppage is unfounded and "harmful to everyone."

"Contingency plans have already been activated," the statement said, adding that it will apply "measures corresponding with current labor regulations" if the union continues "forceful action."

The union members presented a request for various hygiene and safety measures that include verification of environmental conditions in workplaces, availability of personal protection equipment and more.

The union said the company offered a bonus equivalent to about $3 100 per worker and to regularize an operating practice that was not included in the current collective agreement.

BHP and the powerful union have clashed on several occasions. In 2017, workers staged a strike lasting more than 40 days in the middle of a contract negotiation.

Edited by Reuters

Article Enquiry

Email Article

Save Article

Feedback

To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here

Showroom

VEGA Controls SA (Pty) Ltd
VEGA Controls SA (Pty) Ltd

For over 60 years, VEGA has provided industry-leading products for the measurement of level, density, weight and pressure. As the inventor of the...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
EKATO Africa
EKATO Africa

Established in 1933, EKATO is the world leader in agitation technology, supplying agitators for processes and applications such as chemicals and...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

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?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

➕

➕

➕

➕

➕

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

➕

➕

➕

➕

➕

➕

➕

➕

➕

➕

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION

➕

➕







sq:0.049 0.071s - 128pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now