Drummond coal workers in Colombia avoid strike

* Drummond deal was for wage increases above inflation

* Union ready to talk to Glencore over separate strike (Adds comment by company)

BOGOTA June 15 (Reuters) - Workers at U.S. coal miner Drummond's operations in Colombia have reached a three-year deal to avoid a strike over pay at the nation's second-largest coal exporter, a labor union and the firm said on Tuesday.

Colombia ranks fifth in global coal exports and a strike such as a 2006 stoppage at privately owned Drummond could have hit world coal prices.

"They have reached a definitive agreement," said Stevenson Avila, a representative of the Sintramienergetica union. Avila said the deal was for pay increases ranging from 1.5 percent to 3 percent above the annual inflation rate for three years.

Drummond said in a statement it had agreed to a signing bonus of around $3,600 and a salary increase in the first year of 3 percent plus 2009 inflation or a total of 5 percent.

"Drummond has reached a final agreement with all company unions on the bills of petition submitted by the union organizations without any work stoppage," it said.

Avila also said the union was willing to negotiate with Glencore, another of the Andean nation's largest coal exporters. Workers at its La Jagua mine voted for a strike more than a week ago. After a strike vote, laborers have 10 days in which to walk out, according to labor laws. [ID:nN04131488]

"We have all the willingness to sit down and negotiate with Glencore as long as they bring new proposals," he said, adding that workers had until the week's end to stage the walkout.

Colombia is a major coal exporter behind Indonesia and Australia. It is enjoying a boom in mining and oil investment under President Alvaro Uribe, whose U.S.-backed war on leftist guerrillas has reduced violence and kidnapping.