SANTIAGO – Workers at Antofagasta's Los Pelambres copper mine in Chile on Tuesday voted to reject the company's latest contract offer, paving the way for a strike, a union spokesman told Reuters.
Of the union affiliates, 98.5% voted to reject the offer on a new contract for the next 36 months. The present contract expires on Tuesday.
Local legislation dictates that Antofagasta Minerals - one of the world's largest copper producers - and Los Pelambres workers must now enter into a period of government-brokered mediation.
Luis Silva, secretary of the union, told Reuters that its members continued to back a counter-proposal it had put forward to the company, without giving further details.
Union sources previously told Reuters that its members had been unhappy on several points relating to the company's offer.
Antofagasta Minerals declined to comment.
Los Pelambres produced 372 000 t of copper in 2020, equivalent to about 6% of Chile's total.