The consulting firm Vantaz Group has published its fourth report on collective bargaining in the mining industry for the year 2022, predicting a very intense year in terms of union activity in the industry. Nearly 9,000 large mining workers will face 24 collective bargaining negotiations.
According to the study, several processes will be carried out during the fiscal year 2023. "One of the most relevant is Minera Escondida, which is scheduled for the end of March and involves 149 workers. With respect to Escondida, there are always many expectations due to the size of the operation," said Daniela Desormeaux, director of studies at Vantaz.
On the other hand, Desormeaux highlighted as relevant the processes at the Centinela and Zaldívar mines, both of AMSA, scheduled for the months of May and July. Other important negotiations, due to the size of the companies involved, will take place at Anglo American's Los Bronces mine, involving 1,470 workers from the Minera Sur Andes union and its counterpart in the Los Bronces division, and at the Collahuasi mine, involving 1,444 workers.
Balance Sheet 2022
According to the report, 29 collective bargaining negotiations were concluded last year. Codelco was one of the companies that faced the most processes of this type, with eight negotiations with different unions, all of which were carried out in advance. In most cases, there was no salary readjustment, but other types of benefits were provided to the workers.
Negotiations have been changing and incorporating new issues in the labor relationship. "Workers are demanding other things, conditions that have to do with their safety, with their job stability, with their well-being in general, and not only with monetary issues," said the Director of Studies at Vantaz.
In the case of Anglo American, regarding the regulated negotiation of the supervisors' union, the Vantaz Group study shows that the first readjustment will be applied in January 2023, and will correspond to the variation of the consumer price index between July 1 and December 31, 2022, inclusive. If this variation exceeds 4%, the base salary will be readjusted as of the first day of the immediately following month.
Antofagasta Minerals had four collective bargaining sessions in 2022, three of which were regulated and one of which was anticipated. The regulated negotiation with the supervisors' union included a flexible bonus of 340 UF per year and other benefits such as scholarships for supervisors' children, soft loans of $3.5 million, among others. As for the termination bonuses in the case of conflict, the average amount reached $9.1 million in 2022: they are lower in the early negotiations ($6.6 million) and much higher when the processes are regulated, amounting to an average of $15.9 million, as detailed in the report.
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