Chile miners begin pay row talks

Protests by striking workers have hit production at the mine

Workers at the world's largest copper mine have resumed talks with management on the fifth day of a strike over pay.

Unions at the Escondida mine in Chile said they and the mine's owners were now prepared to discuss the hard numbers needed to reach a deal.

Workers are calling for a 13% wage rise and 16m peso bonus ($29,400; £15,400),

Last week, they rejected an offer of a 3% pay rise and $16,000 bonus, saying that surging metals prices meant the owners could easily meet their demands.

"We got together with the company and our question was a simple one: Is there a will to negotiate our terms?" union secretary Pedro Marin told Reuters.

"After a conversation, they (the company) said, okay, lets talk."

Five representatives from both the union and the mine are currently engaged in negotiations at a hotel near the mine.

The Escondida mine produces about 8% of the world's copper and daily production has dropped by almost two-thirds because of the strike costing its owners millions of dollars each day.

BHP Billiton holds a majority (57.7%) share in the site, while fellow mining group Rio Tinto holds 30%.