Striking copper miners accept govt mediation

The company that operates the mine, controlled by Anglo-Australian firm BHP Billiton, had yet to respond publicly to the government's invitation to start talks on Wednesday.

Some 2,500 workers have been on strike for six days at the Escondida mine in northern Chile to demand a pay raise and have warned the action could last up to two months.

Escondida Workers' Union spokesman Carlos Allendes told AFP his side had accepted an invitation from the labor department to sit down with management for government-mediated negotiations.

"We have examined the proposal and responded positively. We understand it is an effort to bring the sides together and we will attend with good intentions," he said.

Government spokeswoman Paula Narvaez said the department invited unions to the talks because "it is in our greater interest for the sides to reach an agreement so that this strike can be resolved."

The mine supplies five percent of global copper output -- some 927,000 tonnes a year.

Like other mining companies, the Anglo-Australian firm has had to cut costs as copper prices slid in recent years.

But prices have rallied in recent weeks on the back of US President Donald Trump's infrastructure spending plans.

Copper is a key component in wiring, and demand for heavy machinery, electrical grids and telecommunication networks drives prices up.

Renewed appetite in China, the world's biggest copper consumer, is also shaping the market.

The price of copper was stable on Tuesday at just over $6,000 a ton.

BHP shares rose by 0.87 percent on the London stock exchange.