Strike called off at mines across Peru

Strike called off at mines across Peru

Lima - A mine workers' strike that started on Monday has been called off and laborers will be returning to work at mines across Peru on Friday, a director of the labor federation that organized the walkout said.

"We've decided to suspend it (the strike)," Jesus del Castillo, director of the federation, told Reuters.

The strike did not hurt mining output from Peru, the industry's chamber said. Though Peru is a leading minerals exporter, the walkout also had little impact on global metals prices.

The federation that organized the strike to demand more benefits represents 22,000 workers. It said at least 21,000 union and non-union workers joined the protest.

But the government said only about 6,300 of Peru's 120,000 miners were on picket lines.

A worker at Shougang Hierro Peru <SHP.LM>, a Chinese-owned iron ore miner, said laborers returned to work on Friday.

Miner Buenaventura <BUEv.LM> <BVN.N> said workers at Uchucchacua, Peru's biggest silver mine, also returned to work.

But Doe Run Peru said its Cobriza mine had not returned to normal and workers were still on strike Friday morning.