Placer Dome Copper Miners Reject Labor Contract, Reuters Says
2005-06-24 03:12 (New York)
By Simon Casey
June 24 (Bloomberg) -- Workers at Placer Dome Inc.'s
Zaldiver copper mine in Chile may strike after voting yesterday
to reject a two-year labor contract, Reuters reported, citing
union official Leonardo Urzua.
Unionized workers wanted a pay increase of between 6 percent
and 10 percent, compared with the company's offer of 3.5 percent,
Reuters said. The workers won't ask for mediation, the report
added.
The current labor contract expires on June 26, Reuters said.
Under Chilean law, the earliest the miners may strike is June 29,
it said.
In addition to its Chilean operations, Vancouver-based
Placer Dome has mining interests in Australia, Canada, Papua New
Guinea, South Africa and the U.S. The Zaldiver mine is scheduled
to produce about 151,000 metric tons of copper in 2005, Reuters
said.
(Reuters 6, 23) |
