The 36-month agreement enters into force on April 1. The company agreed to a signing bonus worth nearly $5,000, but did not increase worker’s salaries.

The Chuquicamata mine, a massive deposit that produced 385,309 tonnes of copper in 2019, lies in a region that was especially hard hit by coronavirus.

Codelco largely maintained production at Chuquicamata and elsewhere amid the pandemic by reducing staff, adjusting schedules and temporarily shelving projects at the pandemic’s peak.