By Dana Ford and Teresa Cespedes
LIMA (Reuters) - A mining strike in Peru entered its secondday on Tuesday, affecting production at some mines, whileworkers at others reported for duty and said they were stilldeciding whether or not to join the nationwide walkout.
The strike, which will test President Alan Garcia at a timewhen he is losing sway in Congress, is designed to pressureCongress to pass a bill that would give workers a greater shareof profits from sky-high metals prices. Garcia has tried topersuade Congress to approve the bill, but so far has failed.
Workers in Peru, the world's leading silver producer andsecond-largest copper and zinc miner, marched to Congress topress their demands.
"The strike continues for the second day," Luis Castillo,head of the nation's largest federation of mining unions, toldReuters.
"We have marched to Congress, and now we are going to meetwith legislators, so they can meet our demands," he said.
Mineral exports from Peru have helped fuel a six-yeareconomic boom, but mine workers say they are not getting a fairshare of surging profits.
Garcia is facing demands to spread the wealth to workersand the poor, or risk losing support for his free-marketpolicies at a time when left-wing parties are eyeing electionsin 2011.
Garcia's approval rating is hovering near 30 percent andhis chief of staff has asked the permanent commission ofCongress to vote on the bill soon, while most legislators areaway on recess.
But at least one party, the Union for Peru, says thecontroversial bill should be voted on only by the entireCongress, after all representatives return to work around theend of July.
"This shouldn't be dealt with like this (by the permanentcommission)," said Oswaldo Luizar, a leader of the party inCongress.
Union leaders, however, are demanding change and thecountry's biggest labour confederation has planned a generalstrike for July 9.
MINES AFFECTED
Peruvian miner Buenaventura said the strike haltedproduction at its Uchucchacua silver mine.
"All production at Uchucchacua is stopped," Carlos Galvez,the company's finance chief, told Reuters. The company's othermines in Peru were not affected by the strike.
Workers were also on strike at the Ilo smelter and Cuajonemine of Southern Copper, one of the world's largest copperproducers, union leader Arnaldo Oviedo has said.
The company has said production was barely affected andtemporary workers were being used.
Miners at Peru's largest copper-zinc pit, Antamina, ownedby BHP Billiton, were also on strike. But a company officialsaid its effect on production was minimal.
"In general, there has not been a large impact," JoseSalazar told Reuters.
Shougang Hierro Peru and the Pierina mine of Canada'sBarrick Gold were also hit by walkouts, according to unionofficials.
Barrick's larger Lagunas Norte mine, which relies ontemporary workers, was not affected, and the company saidPierina was operating.
The union at Freeport-McMoran's Cerro Verde copper minesaid workers would decide later this week whether to go onstrike after a walkout earlier this month.
Union leaders at Doe Run Peru and Volcan have also saidworkers could vote to join the strike later in the week.
Workers already have gone on strike at Volcan's Andaychaguasilver-zinc mine, though workers at its other mines have notyet joined the protest.
Miners at Peruvian tin producer Minsur's San Rafael minehave voted to go on strike early on Wednesday, a union leadersaid, while its smelter has already been struck.
An official at Milpo, a zinc, lead and copper miner, saidnot one of the company's mines was affected by the strike.
(Writing by Dana Ford; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
