Chile's Collahuasi Mine Hopeful Some Striking Workers Will Return
November 19 2010 - 8:10AM
Dow Jones News
As the industrial action at Chilean copper mine Dona Ines de
Collahuasi entered its 15th day Friday, management is hopeful that
some workers will break away from the strike and return to
work.
Earlier this week, the mine presented an improved wage and
benefits offer to tempt unionized strikers to negotiate
individually and go back to work, which local labor laws allow
starting with the 15th strike day.
"We've seen a lot of interest from workers regarding our offer,"
Collahuasi spokeswoman Bernardita Fernandez said. She declined to
specify if any strikers had returned to work.
The union, meanwhile, vows the strike will continue.
"The company's offer is just a rouse to break up the only union
at the mine," the Collahuasi union's president, Manuel Munoz,
said.
As to production, the company maintains that output is normal as
a result of a contingency plan, while the union counters that
Collahuasi is only operating at 20% of capacity.
Diversified mining companies Xstrata PLC (XTA.LN) and Anglo
American PLC (AAUKY, AAL.LN) each hold a 44% stake in Collahuasi. A
consortium led by Mitsui & Co. (MITSY, 8031.TO) holds the
remaining 12%.
Collahuasi, one of the world's largest copper mines, is located
185 kilometers southeast of the port of Iquique, high in the Andes
mountains at 4,400 meters above sea level. 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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