Capstone Restarts Mantoverde Copper Mine, but Workers' Strike Continues

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Written by Amir Richani for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

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Summary

Workers at the Mantoverde copper mine in Chile have been on strike since January 2, though the company was able to reactivate operations after accessing its desalination plant. The Union No. 2 at the mine rejected Capstone's new contract offer.

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Capstone reported on February 1 that it had restarted operations at the Mantoverde copper mine in Chile after regaining access to and operating its desalination plant. On January 22, the company stated that individuals had blocked access to the plant, resulting in the shutdown of sulphide operations at the copper mine.

Following the restart of operations, Capstone expects Mantoverde to operate at 50%-75% of normal production.

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Union No. 2 at Mantoverde, which accounts for roughly 22% of the total workforce, has been on strike since January 2, seeking improved contract conditions. Since that time, tensions between the company and workers have escalated, with disputes arising over the deployment of private security at the site, disruptions at the desalination plant, and a fire at the mine, as reported by local media.

On January 28, Capstone presented a new contract offer to the workers. However, the union rejected the offer.

According to local news outlet El Zorro Nortino, the union emphasized that "the offer presented is clearly discriminatory and violates the principle of good faith, as it is significantly lower than even the offer presented to minority unions a few months ago. Therefore, it is false to claim that it is similar to the offer made to other unions and that it was made in good faith, as the company attempts to portray."

According to news media Emol, of the 645 workers in Union No. 2, 90 voted against the offer, three were in favor, and the majority did not vote as requested by the union.

The proposal, according to Soy Chile, included a bonus of 15 million Chilean pesos at the end of the strike, as well as a quarterly bonus.

Capstone's 2025 Production

Last year, Capstone produced 225,000 tons of copper, representing an increase of approximately 22% from 2024 and 37% from 2023. The increased production volumes resulted from the Mantoverde development projects and the Mantos Blancos debottlenecking project.

Throughout last year, Mantoverde produced 95,100 tons of copper between sulphides and cathodes.

Key Takeaways

• Capstone restarts operations at Mantoverde after gaining access to its desalination plant.
• The mine is expected to operate at 50%-75% capacity.
• The union has rejected the company's new contract.

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About IIR News Intelligence
IIR News Intelligence is a trusted source of news for the industrial process and energy markets, powered by Industrial Info Resource's Global Market Intelligence (GMI).

About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 Trillion (USD).

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