Minera Escondida, belonging to the multinational BHP, has been characterized in recent years by having impeccable management in terms of CSR, especially in relation to its interest groups, to which it declares on its website: " Our approach will be based on our existing strategies, policies and frameworks in relation to our people, environment, communities and other stakeholders and partners. The interconnection of these policies and frameworks aims to ensure that change and transitions are equitable and deliberately considered throughout throughout the lifecycle of our business and for the communities where we operate ."

Specifically regarding internal stakeholders, they point out: " We commit to recognizing our responsibility to the workforce when it is anticipated that a significant change in our company will affect our workforce, we will engage in meaningful dialogue and support those affected " . Adding " Within our business, we engage with our people (employees and contractors) through tailored internal channels. These channels include our intranet, email and newsletters, general meetings and soliciting feedback and feedback through of the Engagement and Perception Surveys .

However, the company has begun a new stage of its voluntary departure plans, which will increase the number of workers who have already left their jobs in the world's main copper deposit, and which totals more than 200 people so far this year. anus. All, in the midst of disputes between union organizations.

The departure of workers at Minera Escondida has revealed a series of divisions and disputes between the unions that bring together the more than 3,700 people who work at the main copper deposit in the world, operated by the Australian BHP in the Antofagasta region. .

The conflict is related to the layoffs that have totaled nearly 100 workers in recent weeks. Added to this are another 126 officials who have left during 2023, taking advantage of special retirement plans, bringing the number of those who have officially emigrated to 226 employees since the beginning of the year.

This number will also grow as the days go by, since during the fortnight of June a new application period began to benefit from an extraordinary exit plan carried out by BHP with the Minera Escondida Workers Union No. 1. This, within the framework of the collective agreement that the company maintains with the union organization.

This process is aimed at workers who are 55 years old and have more than 15 years of seniority in the company, as well as for operators up to 52 years old who have been working in the company for more than 25 years.

BHP confirmed the implementation of the voluntary departure plan, pointing out that the process gives " full compliance with what was agreed in the collective contracts in force with their unions and in accordance with the processes that are usually carried out ."

Union No. 1 brings together nearly 2,500 operators and maintainers of Escondida, being by far the largest of the mining company and this new stage of the voluntary retirement plan occurs a few weeks after the start of the second collective bargaining that BHP will face with workers of Escondida during 2023. The first, with Union No. 3, ended with an agreement in May. Now, in the first half of August, the process will begin with Union No. 2, which brings together about 930 supervisors.

Of the recent departures of workers, about 90 people correspond to the group of supervisors, of which 46 did so by taking advantage of extraordinary retirement plans, while the rest were fired. The union group questions this situation, alleging possible violations. " The company went to look for sick people, people who were away due to Supreme Decree No. 28 of 1994, that is, people who cannot climb to more than 3,000 meters in height ," says Alexis Barrera, president of the Union No. 2, who describes what happened as abnormal, pointing out " It is not normal, we totally reject these unjustified dismissals ."

For Barrera, the layoffs " are a sign from the company to intimidate our partners before a negotiation ." Along these lines, Barrera emphasizes that " we are going to go to the last consequences in this negotiation, and for us it is not difficult to think that for the first time in Minera Escondida there will be a strike of supervisors, we do not see it far away ."

If such a scenario materializes, Escondido's operation could be affected. In March, BHP reduced its production projection at the field to between 1,050 and 1,080 thousand tons, compared to the previous forecast of between 1,080 and 1,180 thousand tons. Despite this, the Canadian company maintained its total copper production forecast between 1,635 and 1,825 thousand tons, given the good results in its other copper operations.

For his part, Pedro Marín, leader of Union No. 3, which brings together around 150 workers, has also expressed his disagreement with the layoffs. In fact, he issued a statement accusing the leaders of Union No. 1 of " complicity ", and points out that the company " went too far " with the dismissals.

" There are people whose going up and down ends up affecting them, hypoxia is generated, and decree No. 28 states that these old people must have permanent examinations, controls and that they have to be relocated if possible. There is an opinion from the DT that also "He tells them that they cannot fire the old people, and that they have to relocate them. But the company came and fired most of them, with the same treatment as if they were healthy ," he details. He adds " There a line was crossed, there is a problem because the company has a way to relocate those people, but since they stopped being productive it fired them ," he says.

Given this, Marín says that as a leader he will appeal judicially for the dismissals in which, he accuses, the norm is not complied with. " I'm going to go to court for the affected people in my union ," he says. According to his version, the company's plans with voluntary retirements of workers aim to reduce the workforce at Minera Escondida by about 400 jobs, " and we are talking about 10% of the direct workforce ."

1. What type(s) of stakeholders are the dissident unions in this measure of dismissals and retirements.  

2. According to the criteria of power, legitimacy and urgency over the stakeholder, can the unions in conflict with the mining company currently be classified as latent, expectant or definitive?

3. Is there coherence on the part of the company in this case between its actions and its CSR guidelines?

4. According to the above, what type of communication tools and instruments should be used by the company.

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

Types of Stakeholders for Dissident Unions The dissident unions in this case are considered internal stakeholders Internal stakeholders are individuals or groups directly connected to the operations a... View the full answer