SANTIAGO – One of the unions in contract negotiations with Antofagasta Minerals at its Centinela mine has reached an agreement with the Chilean miner, while another was still in talks, union leaders said on Wednesday.
The Minera Esperanza union entered government-mediated negotiations in late November in a last-ditch effort to reach a deal after rejecting previous offers from the company, raising the prospect of a strike. The deal staves off that threat.
Leonardo Carvajal, president of the union, told Reuters a majority of its members voted in favour of the fresh 36-month contract deal.
But another of the mine's unions, the Centinela District union, continues to negotiate with Antofagasta, leaving open the possibility of a strike by its members.
Centinela produced 276 600 t of copper in 2019.