By Dana Ford and Teresa Cespedes
LIMA (Reuters) - Peruvian workers were joining a nationwidemining strike on Monday that labour leaders started to pressureCongress to pass a bill that would improve labour benefits.
The walkout in Peru -- the world's leading silver producerand second-largest copper and zinc miner -- will also testPresident Alan Garcia at a time when he is losing sway inCongress. He has tried to persuade legislators to approve thelabour bill, but has so far failed.
Workers had already downed tools on Monday at the Ilosmelter and Cuajone mine of Southern Copper, one of the world'slargest copper producers, union leader Arnaldo Oviedo said. Hesaid the Toquepala mine would be halted on Tuesday.
Labourers also walked out at Antamina, Peru's biggestcopper-zinc pit, owned by BHP Billiton and Xstrata.
"All operations are stopped at Antamina," union leaderFrancisco Marino told Reuters.
Workers are expected to walk off the job at mines includingFreeport-McMoran's Cerro Verde, Buenaventura, Canada's BarrickGold, Shougang Hierro Peru, zinc producer Volcan, tin producerMinsur, Doe Run Peru, and others.
The Federation of Peruvian Mining Workers wants Congress toapprove a law to eliminate caps on profit sharing so workerscan benefit more from sky-high metals prices.
Federation head Luis Castillo has said unions across thecountry approved the strike, while workers at the Casapalca andMorococha mines, on the outskirts of Lima, planned to blockhighways as part of their protest.
Similar strikes last year reduced output and boostedinternational metals prices.
Mineral exports from Peru, a leading global metalsproducer, have helped fuel a six-year economic boom, but mineworkers say they are not getting a fair share of profits.
The federation delayed the start of its strike twice thisyear to give Congress more time to discuss a profit-sharingbill for the industry.
The unions are also asking the government to change rulesfor early retirement, give workers the right to enroll instate-run pension funds, and reduce the workday.
Another demand, a clampdown on outsourcing, was grantedlast week.
(Writing by Terry Wade; editing by Jim Marshall)
