Escondida supervisors say contract deal distant as mediation looms
Supervisors at BHP's Escondida copper mine in Chile say they are far from a collective contract deal as a mediation deadline approaches.
Unionized supervisors at BHP's Escondida copper mine in Chile remain far from a new collective contract, with a mandatory government mediation period due to begin shortly, union leader Alexis Barrera said on Tuesday.
The company has until Wednesday to put forward an offer for workers to vote on. Should that offer be rejected, a mandatory mediation process of at least five days would get under way. That process could be extended by a further five days if no agreement is reached, after which workers would be legally permitted to strike.
According to the union's calculations, the company's latest proposal offers little beyond what the existing collective contract already provides in salary and benefits, Barrera said.
The union has turned down a company demand that supervisors train for plant operations, including driving trucks, arguing that such work belongs to floor staff. Management is also seeking a 14-days-on, 14-days-off shift rotation, which Barrera said the union will not accept.
"We are very far apart. We are still far from having an agreement," Barrera said in a union statement.
"Our people fully trust the board and if a strike vote is needed, it will surely succeed," he added.