US-based coal miner Drummond's Colombian division and Colombian mineworkers' unions, Sintramineros, Sintradrummond, Agretritrenes and Sintramienergetica, have signed new collective wage agreements, avoiding a potential workers strike.
Drummond said in a statement late Monday the agreements had been concluded over the weekend and would be valid for a three-year period.
The parties agreed on Drummond's third offer of a 7% wage rise for the first year, with the second year's wages to be increased by the consumer price index of 2016 plus 0.23% and the third by the CPI of 2017 plus 0.50%.
The previous offer included a 6.8% wage increase for the first year, with the second year's wages increased by CPI plus 0.05% and the third by the CPI plus 0.10%. The first offer had been a 6.77% wage rise for the first year and the remaining two years to be increased by the CPI.
Drummond was also offering a signing bonus of Pesos 10 million ($3,305) for avoiding a strike and all in-kind benefits for mineworkers remaining unchanged.
Talks officially started April 13 for Sintradrummond, Sintradem, Sintramienergetica, Agretritrenes and Sintramineros and May 15 for Sintramienergetica.
The miner previously said 60.92% of its employees belong to a union, although no one union had a majority.
