[News] Strike at Minera Escondida is suspended: BHP requests mediation to negotiate with workers

[FNX Magokiler]

The request aims to negotiate with union No. 2 of supervisors and staff, and has temporarily suspended the strike scheduled for October 4. According to the law, once the mediation date is confirmed, both parties will have five business days to continue talks in search of an agreement, while – according to the company behind the copper deposit – the operation continues to operate normally.

BHP, one of the largest mining companies in the world and owner of 57.5% of the copper deposit operated by Escondida, reported that it has requested mediation from the Labor Inspection. This action, the company assures, "reflects the company's permanent willingness to dialogue to reach a mutually beneficial agreement."

The Antofagasta Regional Labor Directorate accepted the request. Thus, BHP seeks to negotiate with union No. 2 of supervisors and staff of the mining company located in the Atacama Desert, which groups 924 workers. And with this the strike that began tomorrow, Wednesday, October 4, is suspended.

Yesterday it was learned that union No. 2 rejected the last offer from the company with 98.7% of the workers' votes and called for a work stoppage.

Now, “as the law indicates, once the mediation date is confirmed, the parties will have five business days to continue talks and build an agreement,” BHP detailed in a statement.

 

 

The copper company's operation continues to function normally, they say.

Regional Labor Directorate will mediate collective bargaining
The Antofagasta Regional Labor Directorate will mediate the collective bargaining between BHP and Union No. 2 of Supervisors and Staff of Minera Escondida after accepting the mediation requested this Tuesday by the company, when there was one day left for the strike to take effect. legal approved by 98.7% of the members of the union organization.

This was reported by the supervisory body through its regional director(s) of Labor, Margarita López.

The authority reported that “once the strike was approved in the collective bargaining process between the Escondida Mining Company and Union No. 2 of Supervisors, within the next 4 days the company requested mandatory mediation before the Regional Labor Directorate of Antofagasta. ", therefore the start of the strike will be postponed during the period of time in which the mediation meetings take place."

Margarita López added that “in such a context, the Antofagasta Regional Labor Directorate will proceed to notify the parties of a mediation meeting, which will begin tomorrow (Wednesday), October 4, 2023.”

 

https://www.elmostrador.cl/mercados/2023/10/03/huelga-en-minera-escondida-queda-en-suspenso-bhp-solicito-mediacion-para-negociar-con-trabajadores/