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Chilean copper mine ends strike after agreement

More than 700 workers approved a new collective agreement at the Centinela mine.

A strike at the Chilean Centinela copper mine has ended after workers approved a new collective agreement. According to trade unions, 94.49 per cent of participating workers voted in favour of the agreement.

The strike began on 7 October at two unions representing workers at the mine: Distrito Centinela and Minera Esperanza. According to the news agency, more than 700 workers were involved in the dispute over employment conditions.

The unions and Antofagasta Minerals, the owner of the mine, confirmed on Sunday that the new collective agreement had been approved. According to the news agency, the parties returned to the negotiating table on Tuesday to end the dispute.

According to Reuters, the unions sought, among other things, equal benefits for workers, regardless of which of the two unions they belonged to. Reuters reported that three workers began a hunger strike during the dispute to put pressure on the negotiations.

Antofagasta had previously reported that production remained at normal levels during the strike. The mine produced approximately 240,400 tonnes of copper in 2025.

The agreement comes at a time when the global copper market is sensitive to disruptions. Copper is used in electricity grids, industrial equipment, vehicles and many technology products.

The end of the strike prevents a new production disruption at Centinela in the short term. This does not automatically mean that the copper price will fall: it is also determined by demand expectations, inventories, other mines and international trade.

The agreement is therefore primarily good news for the workers involved and the company. For buyers and investors, its broader significance is limited as long as it remains unclear how long the industrial peace will last and whether new disputes will arise elsewhere.

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