1 April, 2008Colombian workers have accepted BHP Billiton's offer on pay, safety improvements and the employment of subcontracted workers. This ends the strike that began on February 27.
COLOMBIA: Workers at Cerro Matoso, Colombia's biggest nickel mine, owned by the multinational BHP Billiton, have ended a strike that began more than one month ago, on February 27.
The agreement between the workers' union, Sintracerromatoso, and the company will benefit more than 600 workers, and meets the union's demands on pay, safer working conditions and open-ended contracts for subcontracted temporary workers.
The agreement includes an eight per cent pay rise for 2008. Pay rises in the following two years will be the same as the rise in the Consumer Price Index plus two per cent. The pay rise will be backdated to February 1, the annual date for the collective agreement, and a further bonus will be paid for January.
The company also agreed to offer open-ended employment contracts to 35 workers who are currently employed on a temporary basis by a subcontractor.
The company will pay another bonus of nine million pesos to all union members covered by this collective contract.