Reuters reported that Codelco's underground Chuquicamata mine is operating normally despite a strike by a group of contract workers.

The main access road to the century old Chuquicamata which produced 443,000 tonnes of copper last year was blocked by Metalcav contract workers forcing Codelco to use an alternate access road.

Codelco said that workers entered the mine without major difficulties; except for a delay in the entrance for workers of the A shift due to the road block on the Calama to Chuquicamata route.

World leading copper producer Chile has in the past years been hit by a series of labor actions encouraged by record prices for the red metal.

According to the contract workers federation, talks with the Metalcav contract workers broke down over demands for larger salary increases and heftier bonuses to end strikes.

Early union leaders blocked access to Chuquicamata's industrial areas for three hours, Codelco said. Police forces had to be called in to free up access.

Source - Reuters

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