UPDATE 1-Mexico workers end strike at Penoles metals refinery
(Adds details on agreement, background)
MEXICO CITY, April 14 (Reuters) - Mexican workers have ended a strike at the massive MetMex gold and silver refining plant owned by miner Penoles, Mexico's labor ministry said on Tuesday.
Some 300 striking workers in the precious metals refinery section of the sprawling MetMex metals complex in northern Mexico laid down tools on Feb. 8, demanding a salary increase of up to 9 percent.
The strike led Penoles (PENOLES.MX) to declare force majeure in March after the strike paralyzed the plant.
Members of the metal workers' union accepted a 6 percent increase in wages on Tuesday in order to return to work, the labor ministry said in a statement.
Penoles' precious metals unit Fresnillo (FRES.L), which operates the world's largest silver mine, processes all the gold and silver from its mines at the MetMex plant.
MetMex refines more than 90 percent of all the gold and silver mined in Mexico and produced around 580,000 kgs of silver, 54,000 kgs of gold and 460,000 tonnes of zinc in 2007, according to statistics on Penoles' website. (Reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by Ben Tan)
