A strike at Escondida, the world’s biggest copper mine, started on July 21. It sparked stoppage threats at other mines across Chile, the globe’s’s top copper producer. (Workers at Collahuasi, the world’s third most productive copper mine, also went on a 24 hour strike).
Escondida posted net profits of US$1.031bn in the first quarter of 2011, reaping benefits for BHP Billiton (which owns 57.5% of the mine), for Rio Tinto (with 30%) and two Joint Venturers, led by Mitsubishi.
Collahuasi is jointly owned by Anglo American and Xstrata.
See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=11102.