26 April, 2011Since March of this year, unions at divisions and subsidiaries of the state mining company CODELCO in Chile have negotiated collective agreements.
CHILE: Three of the five unions at Codelco's El Teniente Division, all affiliated to the Copper Workers Federation (FTC), which is in turn affiliated to the IMF, have reached an early agreement with the company. The collective agreement will benefit 3,000 workers. They will receive a 3.85 per cent pay rise over 40 months, a 12.3 million pesos (€17,680, US$25,324) bonus, an optional soft loan of 3 million pesos and a 10 per cent increase in the annual bonus for Chilean Independence Day on September 18.
The FTC affiliates that signed the agreement were Union No.5, Union No.7 and the Caleton workers' union.
At the end of February, the Miners' Union at the Gaby Mine reached early agreement with CODELCO's mining subsidiary, with a 24 per cent increase in benefits, a complementary holiday bonus, a rise up the pay scale for 111 union members, 100 per cent payment of the Monthly Variable Index (IMV) for office workers, among other benefits, a 7 per cent real increase in basic pay, resulting from a 3 per cent adjustment in the ACT (Asignación de condición de trabajo) and an end of negotiations bonus of 10 million Chilean pesos.
Emilio Páez, president of the Gaby miners' union and FTC and Secretary for International Relations, said the agreement was historic and satisfactory, because the terms were similar to those reached at other big mining companies. He added that other unions in the El Teniente division will be negotiating during the next few days.
For additional details see: http://www.icem.org/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/4399-Early-Accord-Comes-to-One-of-Codelco-s-Copper-Mines-in-Chile