Escondida Wage Talks Open at the World’s Biggest Copper Mine in Chile
The supervisors' union at BHP's Escondida mine in Chile has opened the year's biggest wage negotiation, asking for a fair sharing of the wealth. Separately, Lundin Mining cut its 2026 output forecast at Caserones after a second Atacama storm. The post Escondida Wage Talks Open at the World’s Biggest Copper Mine in Chile appeared first on The Rio Times .
Copper prices have reached near-record highs, prompting the world's largest copper mine, Escondida in Chile, to commence its biggest wage negotiations. The supervisors' union, Sindicato N°2 de Supervisores de Minera Escondida, has 1,020 active members and is demanding a fair share of the company's wealth. The union argues that copper prices, record output, and the company's historical profits necessitate this change.
BHP, which owns 57.5% of Escondida, is under pressure to respond to the union's demands before the current collective contract expires on September 30, 2026. The union's proposal, handed in mid-August, seeks more than what was offered in the previous contract, which expired in 2024. The mine's production has been affected by recent storms, and BHP expects output to drop to 1.0-1.1 million tonnes in 2027 due to falling ore grades.
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