Workers to strike at world's largest copper mine in Chile

Workers at the world's largest copper mine in Chile will go on strike on Wednesday after pay talks with Australian mining giant BHP fell apart, the union said.Around 1,000 mine supervisors agreed to ...

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markets open in 1h 13m S&P Futures 7,871.00 +15.25 +0.19% Dow Futures 52,116.00 +181.00 +0.35% Nasdaq Futures 30,782.50 -9.00 -0.03% Russell 2000 Futures 2,808.40 +8.30 +0.30% 10-Yr Bond 5.22 -0.02 -0.44% VIX 15.30 +0.03 +0.20% Gold 4,170.30 -7.00 -0.17% Bitcoin USD 83,667.92 +405.92 +0.49% Crude Oil Nov 26 95.73 +1.59 +1.69% US Private Equity 10,967.34 -1.52 -0.01% ADVERTISEMENT Workers to strike at world's largest copper mine in Chile AFP Wed, October 14, 2026 at 4:13 AM PDT 1 min read BHP -2.04% Aerial view of the entrance to La Escondida mine, the world's largest copper mine, where workers will go on strike Wednesday (Emiliano GUZMAN) Workers at the world's largest copper mine in Chile will go on strike on Wednesday after pay talks with Australian mining giant BHP fell apart, the union said.

The Escondida mine in northern Chile yearly digs up around five percent of the world's copper, which is essential for the energy transition, artificial intelligence and defense.

Around 1,000 mine supervisors agreed to launch the protest after government-mediated talks between BHP and the union fell apart.

The union accused BHP of breaking off negotiations after making a "poor offer" to employees.

"The responsibility for this strike lies solely with the company and its negotiating committee," it said in a statement on Tuesday.

According to the supervisors, BHP's latest offer failed to include demands including pay raises and monthly production bonuses.

It was unclear whether the strike would halt production, but a union representing mine operators warned that its members would stop work if minimum safety conditions were not met.

Chile, which is responsible for nearly a quarter of global copper output, saw production fall to its lowest level in 15 years in August due to storms and operational problems.

A prolonged disruption at Escondida could lead to a further decline in Chile's copper output.

In 2017, workers at Escondida went on a 44-day strike -- the longest in Chile's mining history.

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