Workers at BHP’s Escondida copper mine in Chile are set to strike starting Tuesday after unsuccessful negotiations with the company. The union representing approximately 2,400 workers announced that there were no “substantive” advances during five days of government-mediated talks. The strike is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. local time (1200 GMT).
The union stated, “We’re convinced we made every responsible effort to reach an agreement, but that wasn’t possible,” urging all members to follow instructions for the strike.
BHP, one of the largest mining companies globally, owns more than half of the Escondida mine, alongside Rio Tinto and JECO Corp. Workers are demanding that 1% of the dividends be distributed equally among them.
BHP has not yet responded to requests for comments regarding the situation.