chile copper strike

SANTIAGO, April 19 (Reuters) - A strike by Chilean mining
subcontractors in its fourth day and denting output will keep
state-run copper powerhouse Codelco's Andina and Salvador
divisions closed through the weekend, the firm said on
Saturday.

Codelco, the world's largest copper producer, said its
Teniente division had resumed normal operations after a brief
slowdown on Saturday due to a strike by subcontracted workers
who argue windfall revenues from copper prices at record highs
are not trickling down to them.

But the company's Salvador and Andina divisions, which have
been paralyzed since Wednesday in the latest in a series of
sometimes violent protests by subcontractors, would stay shut
until Monday, a company source said.

"They are still paralyzed," the source said, asking not to
be identified. They will remain shut on Sunday, she added.

Subcontractors from the Confederation of Copper Workers,
which groups more than 30,000 workers at state-owned Codelco,
began a company-wide strike on Wednesday to demand improved
working conditions and pay.

Workers scuffled with police for a third day on Friday,
pelting buses with stones and erecting roadblocks. Codelco in
turn lodged legal complaints accusing some subcontractors of
holding its staff hostage.

Codelco closed its Andina and Salvador divisions on
Wednesday, citing safety concerns, but has said it has no plans
to close its Codelco Norte division, which includes giant open
pit mine Chuquicamata, or its Teniente and Ventanas divisions.

Andina, situated about 50 miles (80 km) northeast of the
Chilean capital Santiago, produced 218,000 tons (tonnes) of
copper in 2007. Salvador lies 685 miles (1,100 km) north of
Santiago and produced 64,000 tons (tonnes) of copper last
year.

Codelco suspended one shift at Teniente on Friday evening
and another on Saturday morning, but said a skeleton staff kept
the mine working at a slower pace. Teniente is Codelco's second
biggest division, located 50 miles (80 km) south of Santiago.

The Confederation of Copper Workers demands that Codelco
fulfill agreements reached in July 2007 that ended a long,
sometimes violent, strike for improved benefits and pay -- and
has vowed to continue striking until those demands are met.

Subcontracted workers want pay and benefits in line with
those of Codelco's 14,000 unionized employees who do the same
jobs across its five divisions.

They also want the company to absorb 5,000 subcontract
workers into its full-time ranks.

Codelco, the world's largest copper producer, has annual
output of about 1.7 million tons (tonnes).