Antofagasta PLC negotiated with workers in a bid to avoid a strike at its Antucoya copper deposit in Chile, following the union's rejection of the company's final contract offer, Reuters reported Oct. 3.
The union's president, Cesar Garcia, said the company sent a proposal that was the same as its previous offer, adding this is "no way to reach an agreement."
The government-mediated talks are expected to go on for five days, after which the parties can request for an extension.
The mine produced 72,200 tonnes of copper in 2018, according to the newswire.
Antofagasta refused to comment on the ongoing negotiations.
In late September, a union leader urged workers at the company's flagship Los Pelambres copper mine in Chile to reject its latest wage offer, raising the prospects of a strike. Los Pelambres produced 357,800 tonnes of copper in 2018, a little under half of its total production.
