London 26/03/2014 - Anglo American has resumed operations at Chilean copper mine Los Bronces after a 24-hour stoppage following violent protests by a group of contract workers, the company said.
Operations were expected to return to normal production levels late on Tuesday, it said in a statement, while local media reported that talks had begun with the Federation of Contract Workers of Los Bronces.
Anglo American had halted operations on Monday for safety reasons after a group of contractors and workers who are not formally part of Los Bronces' operations blocked roads within the mine, set fire to mining trucks' tires, destroyed facilities, damaged vehicles and ransacked food supplies.
Other Anglo American operations in Chile - Mantos Blancos, Mantoverde, Chagres and El Soldado - were not affected.
Los Bronces, about 65 km from Santiago, produced 416,300 tonnes of copper in 2013, up 14 percent from 365,300 tonnes in 2012. Most of it was in the form of concentrate rather than refined cathodes.
(Editing by xx)