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Chile's Collahuasi says open to talks with strikers
Source: Agencies |
November 28, 2010, Sunday
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CHILE'S giant Collahuasi copper mine said yesterday it was willing to resume talks with its union after workers shunned a sweetened bonus proposal, easing its stance in a move that could end a three-week work stoppage.
Two sources at the union said they expected the talks to begin tomorrow and said they would be mediated by a Roman Catholic bishop. The strike at the world's No. 3 copper mine has contributed to worries about tight supplies and to copper prices climbing near all-time highs.
"Collahuasi reiterates that it is willing to hold collective bargaining talks with the union's negotiating committee," the company, owned by Xstrata and Anglo American, said in a statement.
The change of tone from last week, when both sides appeared dug in for a pitched battle, indicates fatigue on both sides may be spurring new interest to end the walkout.
Collahuasi had offered workers a US$29,000 bonus if they agreed by Friday to go back to their jobs, but as of Thursday had won over fewer than 15 percent of the mine's 1,551 unionized workers. They need more than 50 percent to legally end the strike through direct negotiations with the workers.
The bonus offer now falls to US$25,000 for workers who did not accept by the Friday deadline.
Union leaders in the past have opposed the company's efforts to negotiate directly with workers.
A settlement in the strike would help ease market concerns in the short term about labor-related supply interruptions of copper from Chile, the world's top producer.
The next major collective bargaining talks are not until June when Chilean state-run copper producer Codelco negotiates a new contract with workers at the 400,000 ton-per-year El Teniente mine.
Traders estimate the strike has cost Collahuasi only about 1 percent of its annual output because of its use of temporary workers. But union leaders say the mine near the northern city of Iquique is running at 20 percent of capacity.
Workers at Codelco's Radomiro Tomic on Wednesday agreed to nearly US$31,000 in bonuses and benefits, which could set the upper limit for Collahuasi workers if negotiations resume. Miners at Antofagasta Plc's Los Pelambres mine this month settled for US$28,000.
Two sources at the union said they expected the talks to begin tomorrow and said they would be mediated by a Roman Catholic bishop. The strike at the world's No. 3 copper mine has contributed to worries about tight supplies and to copper prices climbing near all-time highs.
"Collahuasi reiterates that it is willing to hold collective bargaining talks with the union's negotiating committee," the company, owned by Xstrata and Anglo American, said in a statement.
The change of tone from last week, when both sides appeared dug in for a pitched battle, indicates fatigue on both sides may be spurring new interest to end the walkout.
Collahuasi had offered workers a US$29,000 bonus if they agreed by Friday to go back to their jobs, but as of Thursday had won over fewer than 15 percent of the mine's 1,551 unionized workers. They need more than 50 percent to legally end the strike through direct negotiations with the workers.
The bonus offer now falls to US$25,000 for workers who did not accept by the Friday deadline.
Union leaders in the past have opposed the company's efforts to negotiate directly with workers.
A settlement in the strike would help ease market concerns in the short term about labor-related supply interruptions of copper from Chile, the world's top producer.
The next major collective bargaining talks are not until June when Chilean state-run copper producer Codelco negotiates a new contract with workers at the 400,000 ton-per-year El Teniente mine.
Traders estimate the strike has cost Collahuasi only about 1 percent of its annual output because of its use of temporary workers. But union leaders say the mine near the northern city of Iquique is running at 20 percent of capacity.
Workers at Codelco's Radomiro Tomic on Wednesday agreed to nearly US$31,000 in bonuses and benefits, which could set the upper limit for Collahuasi workers if negotiations resume. Miners at Antofagasta Plc's Los Pelambres mine this month settled for US$28,000.
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