Global copper supply at risk as workers vote to strike

Sheets of copper cathode are pictured at BHP Billiton's Escondida, the world's biggest copper mine, in Antofagasta, Chile

SANTIAGO: A tightening global copper market is facing the real possibility of simultaneous strike disruptions at three mines in Chile, the biggest producer of the metal.

By far the most serious threat to global supplies comes from Escondida, the biggest copper mine in the world, where workers rejected owner BHP Group’s final wage offer in voting last week.