|
|
|
 News Around the Republic of Mexico | March 2008 
Striking Miners Block Entrance to Major Mexico Pit
 Mica Rosenberg - Reuters
go to original
| | A court then ruled miners who remained on strike could not be fired and that workers who wanted to pick up tools could return to their jobs. | | |
Mexico City - Striking miners have blocked the entrance to one of Mexico's largest copper mines, complicating a resolution to an eight-month work stoppage, union and company officials said on Sunday.
A fight broke out on Saturday when a group of striking miners armed with sticks, stones and bottles stopped workers from entering Grupo Mexico's giant Cananea copper pit, which is slowly starting to ramp up production.
Some 20 people were injured in the clashes, Mexican media said.
"We are not letting the temporary workers in because they are violating labor contracts," said union spokesman Carlos Pavon. He said the company is not allowed to hire non-unionized labor to replace the striking workers.
The strike, which began last July over health and safety concerns at Cananea, was declared illegal by a government labor board in January and Grupo Mexico reclaimed control of the mine after a brief clash between strikers and police.
A court then ruled miners who remained on strike could not be fired and that workers who wanted to pick up tools could return to their jobs. Now the company only has a skeleton staff of some unionized workers and contractors tuning up equipment left idle for months.
The mine is working at about one-third capacity to produce around 90 tonnes of copper in concentrate a day and 110 tonnes of copper cathode.
"Obviously this is going to affect production if they beat up anyone who shows up for work," Juan Rebolledo, Grupo Mexico's vice president for international relations, told Reuters.
The clash will dampen talks between the company and the union, which resumed last week with both sides confident negotiations were moving forward.
Miners complain of major health hazards at Cananea but the company says the union's leader Napoleon Gomez, in exile in Canada, is using the strike as a bargaining chip to clear his name of corruption charges in Mexico.
(Editing by Tom Hals) |
| |
|
Vallarta Weddings
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us