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.
Comments
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
Booyco Electronics, South African pioneer of Proximity Detection Systems, offers safety solutions for underground and surface mining, quarrying,...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Weir Minerals Europe, Middle East and Africa is a global supplier of excellent minerals solutions, including pumps, valves, hydrocyclones,...
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
