With copper prices at a record high, miners in Chile are becoming increasingly belligerent in their demand for higher pay. On 7 August miners from the world's largest privately owned copper mine, Escondida, in the northern Atacama desert went on strike, demanding a 13% salary increase and a one-off bonus payment; BHP Billiton, the Australian company which owns the mine, were not prepared to budge beyond a 1.5% increase. In the two weeks since then, both sides have shown signs of a willingness to compromise, but on 17 August managers at Escondida closed down the mine because of the safety risk posed by striking staff blocking access roads.End of preview - This article contains approximately 314 words.
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