Workers at the Chuquicamata copper mine in Chile threatened to go on strike in response to a plan to change the century-old open-pit operation to an underground mine. Four of the six unions representing Chuquicamata workers approved the strike. About 5,664 workers are employed there, and labor relations are at an all-time low according to Liliana Ugarte, one of the union’s presidents. The plan to revamp the mine’s aging deposits includes a massive $39 billion budget and a ten-year time frame. Management has already threatened to lay off as many as1,700 workers. While no strike date has been set yet, preparations are taking place.
See "Workers at Codelco's Chuquicamata mine threaten strike", Dave Sherwood and Antonio De la Jara, Reuters, June 27, 2018