UPDATE 1-Workers strike Freeport's Cerro Verde mine in Peru
(Adds union official's comment, other details)
LIMA, Oct 2 (Reuters) - The union at Freeport-McMoRan's (FCX.N) Cerro Verde (CVE.LM) copper mine, the third-largest in Peru, said on Thursday workers were on strike.
In June, union workers struck at the mine for 11 days in an attempt to pressure the company to comply with provisions in their labor contract.
"The strike started, at 6:00 (1200 GMT) this morning," Leoncio Amudio, head of the mine's union, told Reuters.
Cerro Verde is located in the southern region of Arequipa, where last year it produced some 273,960 tonnes of copper.
Amudio said union and company officials are planning to meet in Peru's capital, Lima, later on Thursday to discuss the workers' demands. A company representative was not immediately available for comment.
Dozens of strikes have been held this year in Peru, one of the world's leading metals exporters, as workers and the poor demand a bigger share of a seven-year economic boom.
After Chile, Peru is the world's second-largest producer of copper. (Reporting by Dana Ford and Maria Luisa Palomino; editing by Matthew Lewis)
© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved
Green Shoots / Brown Weeds
Jobless claims drop steeply
The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits fell sharply last week, although the data was distorted by an unusual pattern of layoffs in the automotive industry. Full Article
Bad weather hurts retail sales
Sales fell at many U.S. apparel retailers and warehouse club stores in June as the weak economy and cool, rainy weather dashed interest in summer shopping for consumers across the country. Full Article
