BAKU. Azerbaijan. August 14. Workers at the Escondida copper mine in northern Chile have gone on strike after failing to reach an agreement with BHP Billiton on improving working conditions, Trend reports.
The union representing 2,800 workers at the plant rejected the latest offer from the company that controls Escondida following negotiations to improve labor agreements. The strikers are demanding higher wages amid rising global copper prices.
No end date has yet been set for the strike. The union leadership has warned that it is considering a "prolonged strike".
Escondida accounts for about 5 percent of the world's copper production. In 2017, a strike by mine workers lasted 44 days, which led to an increase in global prices for the metal.