(Minews) - Workers at the Peruvian copper and zinc mine Antamina have ended a strike that began last Wednesday and will restart work on Monday, according to the mine owners.
Following a meeting, the workers decided to end the stoppage, after authorities declared it improper, said Antamina, the country's largest copper mine, in a statement late on Saturday.
The strike, prompted by demands for better labor conditions and a greater profit share, was the second at the project in the last month. The first, which ended on Nov 30, was suspended after authorities said it was illegal.
Union representatives were not immediately available to comment, although Antamina sent Reuters a copy of a letter they said was from a union leader, which informed the company of the decision to "restart work from 0700 on Monday 15 December".
Antamina said the stoppage had not affected production, although the union has said that around 60 percent of operations were impacted. The union covers 1,630 workers out of a total 2,860 employees at the project.
The mine is controlled by BHP Billiton and Glencore Xstrata, which have 33.75 percent stakes. Teck has a 22.5 percent interest, and Mitsubishi Corp has 10 percent. Between January and September this year, it produced 273,411 tonnes of copper.
