UPDATE: Chile Collahuasi Mine Union Likely To Strike Friday
November 04 2010 - 10:57AM
Dow Jones News
The 1,551 unionized workers at Chilean copper mine Dona Ines de
Collahuasi are likely to go on strike, the union said on its
website.
The five-day government mediation period that was sought by both
management and the sole union at the mine ends Thursday and a
strike could begin at the start of the first shift Friday.
In a website notice to its members, the union late Wednesday
said it is on "maximum alert" and has called for mandatory
assistance to assemblies either in the city of Iquique or the mine
site to discuss the company's final wage and benefits offer.
"The topics on the agenda are information regarding negotiations
and instructions regarding the legal strike we will begin if the
company persists in its obstinance," the notice said.
Union leaders didn't respond to repeated calls for comment.
The mining company, meanwhile, is willing to continue talks, a
spokeswoman said.
"We'll be available to talk until the last possible minute. We
hope that there won't be a strike, but if there is, the workers are
within their legal rights to do so," she said.
The mine has a contingency plan in place to ensure operational
continuity, the spokeswoman said earlier this week.
The mine, one of the biggest in Chile, is owned by diversified
mining companies Xstrata PLC (XTA.LN) and Anglo American PLC
(AAUKY, AAL.LN), each with a 44% stake. A consortium led by Mitsui
& Co. (MITSY, 8031.TO) holds the remaining 12%.
The mine produces about 500,000 metric tons of copper a year, or
about 10% of Chile's annual output. Chile is the world's leading
copper producer, accounting for about 35% of global output.
-By Carolina Pica, Dow Jones Newswires; 56-2-715-8919;
carolina.pica@dowjones.com
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