Chile Collahuasi Says Mediated Talks Over; Strike Could Start Friday

Government mediated talks at Chilean copper mine Dona Ines de Collahuasi ended Thursday at a standstill, a company spokeswoman said.

A strike of the 1,551 unionized workers at the company could start early Friday morning as the union is on "maximum alert," according to its website.

"The company is still open and will continue to be open to any sort of dialogue," the Collahuasi spokeswoman said.

Union leaders, meanwhile, didn't answer repeated calls for comment.

The union, which represents 90% of the mine's union-eligible workers, will hold two assemblies later Thursday to discuss their strike plans.

Collahuasi, one of the largest copper mines in the world, has a contingency plan in place to ensure producttion during the strike.

The mine 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%.

It 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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