- The main union at BHP Billiton's (BHP +0.3%) Escondida copper mine in Chile says a contract agreement is unlikely unless the company changes its negotiating stance on benefits.
- The two sides on Friday started a five-day government-mediated period of negotiations, and Wednesday will be the last day of the period unless both parties agree to an extension.
- Escondida, the world's largest copper mine, produced 1.15M metric tons of copper in 2015, ~6% of the world's total; it is majority-controlled by BHP, with Rio Tinto (RIO +1.2%) and Japan's JECO also holding stakes.
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