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28 July, 2008
Mineworkers and port workers of non-affiliated Colombia union, Sintramienergética, ended a week-long strike on Wednesday, 23 July, against US-based coal producer Drummond. The miners shut one of Drummond’s two big open pit mines in César department, the Pribbenow mine, as well as the company’s thermal coal exporting port at Santa Marta.
The strike ended for the 2,700 workers when the two sides compromised on a two-year wage deal. Workers will receive a 9.1% increase this year. For 2009, the union won the Colombian consumer price index plus 1.75%. The union had orginally been seeking a 16% wage hike, while Drummond started bargaining with a 7.5% offer.
Sintramienergética also won job security assurances, housing and education improvements, safety and health gains, and needed social investments in the surrounding communities. Striking Drummond miners received strong support from Colombian Senator Jorge Enrique Robledo.
Drummond is Colombia’s second largest coal producer, behind Carbones del Cerrejón in La Guajira department, where ICEM affiliate Sintracarbón represents 4,500 miners.
Meanwhile, the country’s third largest mining house, Glencore International, came to terms with Sintramienergética prior to the miners taking strike action in mid-July. The negotiated first year wage adjustment at the Swiss company’s La Loma and Lagua mines was set at 9%. Miners at both Drummond and Glencore voted on 8 July to issue ten-day strike notices.