El Teniente mine remains closed due to strike

SANTIAGO.- The El Teniente copper mine, Codelco´s second most important production plant, remained closed on Wednesday due to security concerns stemming from a subcontracted worker strike, which has been on-going for the last two weeks.

The demonstration has left Codelco, the world’s largest copper producer, with losses estimated at some US$ 100 million due to closures at the company’s El Teniente, Salvador and Andina mines.

Groups of subcontracted workers have thrown stones at buses transporting workers to the El Teniente division and cut off access to the Salvador division.

“Yesterday’s and today’s shifts have been cancelled until we can establish new transportation security measures for the buses” an El Teniente source said while referring to the demonstrations at the mine, which will carry on at least until this afternoon.

The demonstrators, who are employees contracted by outsourcing companies that offer various services to Codelco, are demanding that labor agreements, which were signed with Codelco last year after a long period of demonstrations, be fulfilled.

Codelco maintains that it has already complied with all agreements that were reached.