Peru miners ready selves for nationwide strike

By Marco Aquino

LIMA (Reuters) - Peru's largest miners federation is still planning an indefinite, nationwide strike for Monday and workers at many of the country's largest pits have vowed to join the walkout to demand better benefits.

Union leaders at powerhouse Southern Copper Corp. told Reuters on Wednesday they will participate, as did workers at the Peruvian unit of U.S.-based Doe Run Co., which runs the South American country's largest smelter complex.

Workers at Yanacocha, the largest gold mine in Latin America, and at zinc miner Volcan said they also plan to join the nationwide strike.

"On Monday, we met with the labor minister and didn't reach an accord," said Luis Castillo, president of the National Federation of Metallurgic and Steel Miners. "We have another meeting on Thursday with the government and that's where the talks will end. The strike is still on."

Castillo said his federation groups 74 mining unions in Peru, representing some 22,000 workers. About 110,000 miners are estimated to work in the sector overall.

Mining is one of the economy's main drivers and accounts for more than half of Peru's export earnings. The country is the world's No. 3 copper and zinc producer, a top-two silver producer and No. 5 in gold.

The federation is demanding that President Alan Garcia fulfill campaign pledges to eliminate outsourcing among mining companies and to improve pension benefits.

The National Society of Mining, Petroleum and Energy, which groups the largest private companies operating in these sectors, has described the strike as a political protest and asked the government to declare it illegal.

The last nationwide strike took place three years ago, when miners stopped work for 48 hours to protest labor policies under former President Alejandro Toledo.

Castillo said workers at zinc miner Milpo and at Atacocha were planning to join the strike, but Reuters was unable to confirm this with their unions.

At Cerro Verde, Peru's No. 4 copper producer, and the Tintaya copper mine, union leaders said they would decide by Thursday whether to back the nationwide walkout.