24 October, 2011
Pressure is building on US-based Freeport-McMoRan as talks again broke down with striking miners at the Sociedad Minera Cerro Verde copper and molybdenum mine in southern Arequipa region. A branch union of the ICEM-affiliated National Miners’ and Metalworkers’ Union (FNTMMSP) of Peru met with management on 20 October in an attempt to end the strike, but once again company negotiators refused to move closer to union demands.
Management originally offered a 2,000-sol (US$735) one-time bonus and a 3% pay rise but the union has demanded an 11% increase to current wages.
Very important to the struggle was a government declaration on 30 September that the strike is legal. This is the first time a strike at the mine has been declared legal in its 40-year history. This judgement means Freeport cannot hire temporary replacement workers, or scabs. The company is however using 600 volunteers and management staff to continue operations. This is illegal and has been confirmed to be so by the government, which has ordered the mine to stop its unsafe use of replacement workers or face a fine of 72,000 soles (US$26,500).
Replacement workers damaged an ore-crushing facility at the mine, causing a three-day total shutdown until repairs could be made. The copper mine has now exhausted its stockpiled ore. No new blasting is being carried out. Pressure is high on management to meet the union demands.
The indefinite strike is respected by all 1,220 FNTMMSP members at the third largest copper mine in Peru. Miners downed tools on 29 September.
Some strikers went on hunger strikes on 17 October, demanding the company and regional authorities respect their demands. Leoncio Amudio, the secretary general of the branch union of FNTMMSP reported that workers marched on 18 October to the Arequipa regional government headquarters.
The Cerro Verde mine produces some 2% of the world's copper mine. Miners of Cerro Verde are unwilling to accept anything less than an 11% pay increase.