Workers at the world's No 3 copper mine, Chile's Collahuasi, returned to the job after ending a 24-hour strike on Sunday, easing fears of contagion as a stoppage at the giant Escondida deposit enters its 10th day.
The Collahuasi mine operator said the strike had little effect on output and was ignored by most workers that continued on their posts during the call for walkout.
A group of workers on Saturday blocked access roads to the open pit and later voted to strike for 24 hours to demand higher bonuses, union leaders said. Repeated labour action in top copper producer Chile has fuelled supply worries and spurred global copper prices. Escondida, majority owned by BHP Billiton, extracts 7 percent of the world's copper, while Collahuasi accounts for 3.3 percent.
While markets fear a contagion, the 24-hour strike at Collahuasi, owned jointly by Xstrata and Anglo American, appeared to be an isolated example. Unions at other mines said they have no plans for immediate stoppages.
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