Antofagasta Workers Conduct Hunger Strike in Chile for Pay Parity

11:52 PM EDT, 10/11/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Antofagasta (ANTO.L) workers in Chile started a hunger strike on Oct. 9, marking an escalation of the labor protest for pay and benefits disparities, which began two days earlier, Centinela Mining Union said. Antofagasta dismissed the claims for discriminatory treatment between employees from different unions, noting that the differences in pay and benefits were due to separate collective contracts negotiated at different times, Bloomberg News reported the same day. The mining company proposed a 2% real increase in base salaries and a cash bonus of $23,000 each, agreeing to keep the discussion ongoing. While Antofagasta has maintained its production outlook, the union warned of an up to 50% reduction in copper output in November if the strike continues. Antofagasta did not immediately respond to a request for comment from MT Newswires.