Workers plan to strike for the second time in 2015 at Shougang Hierro Perú. The labor stoppage, the fifth at the mine in the past 24 months, was called after Hierro Perú and union officials failed to reach an agreement in the 2015-2016 annual wage bargaining pact. Workers plan to walk off their jobs on September 21, 2015. The news comes after protests during a 12-day strike at the Ica region mine left one dead and dozens injured in May. Workers have also downed tools this year at miners including Buenaventura, El Brocal and Minera Raura. Hierro Perú deputy general manager Raúl Vera and union general secretary Julio Ortiz did not immediately return telephone calls seeking comment.

The company announced earnings results for the first half of 2015. For the period, profit plunged 63.7% to PEN 132 million as sales fell 42.4% to PEN 628 million from PEN 1.09 billion a year earlier on account of slumping iron prices.

The company is working on USD 1 billion expansion of the mine, in the southern coastal town of Marcona, to produce 10Mt/y by 2017.