Reuters first on Codelco copper mine protest that hurt output

Reuters was more than 45 minutes ahead of competitors on Dec. 9 with news that union workers had blocked access to Chile’s massive Chuquicamata mine over a wage dispute with Codelco, helping to briefly support sliding copper prices in New York. Reuters got the news of the unexpected pre-dawn blockade early on Wednesday from union sources after a long night of tense negotiations that broke down. It was the latest in a series of labour-related mine supply stories that Reuters has led, including an early wage deal that averted a strike at the world’s largest copper mine, BHP Billiton’s Escondida. Bloomberg reported the Chuquicamata blockade 46 minutes later while Dow Jones lagged by more than an hour.