Frisco claims strike at Mexican copper, zinc mine is illegal

Mexico City-based miner Frisco has described the stoppage of operations by union workers at its Tayahua mining unit in Zacatecas states as illegal.

“The work stoppage is illegal and has no basis whatsoever in fact or law. Minera Frisco always supports the labor well-being of its workers and has in no way failed to comply with its obligations as an employer,” the company, owned by Grupo Carso, said in a statement.

“There is no reason in either the collective labor contract or federal labor law that can justify the suspension of operations,” it added.

More than 1,000 union members and at least 350 non-union employees have stopped operations at the mine since Saturday evening due to a disagreement over profit-sharing payments, regional newspaper NTR reported.

The striking staff, most of whom are members of the national union of mining, metallurgical, steel and similar workers (SNTMSSRM), claim that the company is not fulfilling the collective labor contract, because in 2023 they received profit-sharing payments of 115,000 pesos (US$6,760) and it now intends to pay them only 43,000 pesos, the paper reported. The employees are demanding 150,000 pesos.

Minera Frisco urged the workers taking part in the strike to return to work to avoid jeopardizing normal operations and the otherwise healthy work relationship, and to maintain the mine installations.

The company stated that it would guarantee that "roundtables for dialogue will always be available in accordance with the applicable legal regulations to resolve any legitimate disagreement that may exist."

Frisco assured that it has attempted to maintain regular operations and activities as far as possible, but warned that if the strike continues, any service that is not essential to guarantee the safety and integrity of staff and facilities will be suspended.

Tayahua is an underground mine that mainly produces copper and zinc concentrates, but also gold, silver and lead. It is located in the Mazapil municipality of Zacatecas in northern central Mexico, approximately 35km from the Peñasquito gold mine owned by US firm Newmont.