Chile workers at world’s biggest copper mine sign deal to avoid strike

Santiago (AFP) – Chilean miners at the world’s biggest copper mine, Escondida, signed an agreement on Friday with Anglo-Australian owners BHP to avoid a strike announced two weeks ago when unions rejected as insufficient a proposed salary hike.

The No.1 union that represents 2,500 miners said “a new collective contract” had been agreed to prevent a potentially crippling shutdown at the mine, which produces five percent of the world’s copper.