“BHP’s CIO Union enters mandatory mediation phase after approving strike with 98% support,” August 4, 2025

With 98% support, workers from BHP’s Integrated Operations Center (CIO) Union at Copper Advanced Services approved a legal strike after overwhelmingly rejecting the company’s latest offer...

The decision was communicated through an internal statement in which the union leadership highlighted the unity of the process and the commitment of its members, noting that their demands focus on meaningful improvements in working conditions, wages, and recognition of the strategic role they play within the mining group...

The union stated that BHP’s offer “does not include an adjustment to base salaries, incorporates productive practices without fair compensation, and 70% of the offer consists of end‑of‑negotiation bonuses. What does our union and our membership expect? Benefits aligned with the mining market, recognition of the contribution to the strong results of the Escondida and Spence mines, compliance with the minimum bargaining floor, and improvements in social benefits.”...

Union representatives warned that the labor dispute could lead to a complete shutdown of remote operations, potentially affecting the combined production of more than 1.5 million tonnes of copper per year...

Copper Advanced Services has requested the activation of mandatory mediation by the Labour Directorate as part of the regulated collective bargaining process with the CIO BHP CAS Workers’ Union. “As has been the case since the beginning of the collective bargaining process, the company has approached this stage with its best willingness to engage in dialogue in order to reach an agreement that improves current working conditions agreed with its employees, while always ensuring the sustainability and productivity of BHP CAS,” the company said in a statement.