Capstone restarts copper production at Chilean mine even as strike continues
More than 600 union members at the mine downed tools on January 2 after collective bargaining failed to reach an agreement.
SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Capstone Copper (CSCCF) said Sunday it resumed partial operations at its Mantoverde copper and gold mine in Chile, even as a strike by a labor union representing more than 20% of the mine's workforce continued.
Production at the Mantoverde mine is expected to run at 50%-70% of normal levels during the strike after Capstone regained access to a desalination plant that supplies water to the mine, the company said.
The decision to resume operations follows a Chilean court ruling on Friday that allowed authorities to remove striking workers from the desalination plant.
While Mantoverde is considerably smaller than top-tier mines in Chile such as Escondida and Collahuasi, tense labor relations there may foreshadow tough negotiations for other contract renewals.
More than 600 union members at the mine downed tools on January 2 after collective bargaining failed to reach an agreement; last week, workers rejected a revised offer that included final payments equivalent to more than $17K each and a 1% wage adjustment.
Mantoverde produced 62,308 tons of copper concentrate and 32,807 tons of copper cathodes, about 0.4% of global production, in 2025.
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