Lundin defends early retirement package for Chile's Candelaria workers

Chile's Candelaria copper mine, run by the Canadian firm Lundin Mining, on Tuesday rejected claims by the mine supervisors' union that it is planning to lay off workers, saying the claim relates to the offer of an early retirement package for older workers. The supervisors' union said on Monday the miner would cut 7% of its workforce in a belt-tightening exercise at a time when the mining industry is feeling the pinch from constraints placed on their operations aimed at limiting the spread of the virus. Candelaria said the measure was part of an "optimization programme" to ensure the sustainability of its operation in Chile's northern Atacama region.