Posted on 05 Aug 2024
Australian miner BHP is facing a strike at the Escondida copper mine in Chile after workers voted against a collective bargaining agreement proposal.
Members of the union for the operators and maintenance workers rejected the latest offer with a 99.75% majority, or 2,371 people. They voted in favour of a strike, Kallanish Power Materials understands.
According to the union, BHP’s proposal “does not contain any progress in the legitimate demands of the workers” and uses "one-time bonuses that try to hide the definitive loss of conditions."
BHP had offered a 20 million Chilean peso ($21,044) bonus per worker, Reuters reported.
The union has been asking to distribute 1% of the dividends paid to foreign investors in equal parts among all workers, a proposal it deems “not only legitimate but fair, given the economic reality of the largest mining company in the world.”
Escondida is the largest-producing copper mine in the world. BHP operates it as part of a joint venture with Rio Tinto and JECO Corp. Ongoing expansion works are expected to increase its output to 1.3 million tonnes by 2026, from 1mt currently. Last year it generated revenue of $8.8 billion for a capital expenditure of $1.3 billion.
Source:Kallanish Power Materials
