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%.
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