Chile´s state-run Codelco said on Saturday it would temporarily halt construction on a new level at its flagship El Teniente mine, a move it said was necessary to combat the fast-spreading coronavirus pandemic.
FILE PHOTO: The Codelco El Teniente copper mine, the world's largest underground copper mine is shown near Machali, Chile, April 11, 2019. REUTERS/Ernest Scheyder/File Photo
“This began to be implemented last weekend,” Codelco said, adding the move was aimed at “reducing the density of both our own and contract staff, scaling back movement and reducing the possibility of infection.” Unions say at least 2,300 of Codelco´s workers have been infected with the virus since the outbreak began in mid-March.
Unions and social groups have ratcheted up pressure on Codelco and other miners to beef up protections for workers, including a proposal this week to close mines north of Teniente, in the Antofagasta region, for two weeks.
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