As in previous opportunities, several groups of workers and employees from El Teniente's own and collaborating companies organized themselves by management or in a transversal manner to help with food and basic supplies to the families affected by the fires that occurred in Viña del Mar.

Last Saturday, February 10 , a group of workers from the Mining Management, leaving the B shift, traveled early in the morning in a truck and private vehicles to arrive at 7 in the morning with ten tons of aid, mainly food, including pet food, which was purchased after raising 3.6 million pesos in a few days.

The collection of aid began at the Diablo Regimiento mine and was joined by workers from other sectors such as Teniente 7, the Integrated Operations Center, the Upper Pacific, Sub 6, Mina Sur, SAG Convencional, Commercial Products and Filters, among others. The destinations were the Monte Sinaí Camp, Miraflores Alto, Villa Independencia and Achupallas, in Viña del Mar, where they were expected by leaders of neighborhood associations in the sector.

“When the shift ended at 4 a.m., workers left for the Valparaíso region in trucks and vans to deliver more than 10 tons of food, water, toiletries, pet food, tools, mattresses, cleaning supplies, solar lighting, safety items, more than 5,000 masks, diapers, awnings and tents,” explained Ramiro Salas, a LHD front-end loader operator and part of the group that arrived at the affected area.

Marcia Torrejón, leader of the Forestry sector, together with representatives of the Communal Union of Santa Julia and Achupallas, thanked the support and recalled that it is not the first time that workers have organized to help. “Already in December 2022, when there was another mega-fire in Viña del Mar, the tenientinos (as) came and helped us get back on our feet. That relationship was maintained and again, voluntarily, they came to clean up this area that was devastated,” said Torrejón.

“We managed to unite coworkers, individuals, friends, family and generate hope for people who are going through a very hard time. El Teniente is part of the community and it shows this thanks to the commitment of its workers and management. What I value most is the attitude and loyalty of the workers and their families,” added Salas.

Other initiatives underway

Likewise, in the WhatsApp group “Tenientinas con el corazón” , more than 300 workers are focusing their solidarity action to help affected women in the area, which will soon be carried out and has already raised more than 2 million pesos.

In addition, the Project Management reported that, as of Thursday, February 8, its workers had raised more than $3 million, part of which would be used to help three workers from the collaborating company Echeverría Izquierdo Montajes Industriales who work in the Division and who lost their homes in the Valparaíso region.

Another part of the funds will be allocated to affected families in the area and to the purchase of food supplies that will be delivered on site.

The solidarity of the people of Teniente with communities affected by catastrophic events was repeated, just as it was done last June after the floods in Coltauco. On that occasion, support was given to the residents of that commune and the workers' unions, Rol B (grouped in Zonal El Teniente) contributed to the remodeling of the plaza in the El Molino sector.