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Union strike underway at MMG's Las Bambas copper mine in Peru

Kitco News

(Recasts with union spokesperson)

LIMA, Nov 20 (Reuters) - A multi-day strike is underway at the Chinese-owned Las Bambas copper mine in Peru, the leader of the workers union said on Monday, as part of its demands to improve profit sharing protocols.

Erick Ramos, general secretary of the Las Bambas workers union, told Reuters by telephone that the union is considering an indefinite strike from Nov. 28 if the company does not meet its demands. Las Bambas, which began operations in 2016 and is owned by China's MMG Ltd , is one of the largest copper producers in Peru, the world's second largest producer of the metal.

Ramos said the strike would last 48 hours with the union demanding a better distribution of profits for workers. A source close to the Las Bambas mine said earlier on Monday that the protest began on Sunday and that the strike was being "partially and peacefully" adhered to. They added that the company "is respectful of labor rights and works hard to ensure a safe working environment for its workers," noting however that the strike had been declared "inadmissible" by the Ministry of Labor.

(Reporting by Marco Aquino, Writing by Isabel Woodford, Editing by Louise Heavens, Kirsten Donovan)

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