Union at BHP's Escondida copper mine in Chile signs new deal, ending risk of strike

The union at Chile's Escondida copper mine, the world's largest, signed a deal on Sunday with BHP, ending a strike that could have threatened global supplies of the red metal.

The three-year deal included changes in labour conditions such as "initiatives to optimize shift changes, increase equipment utilization and compliance with the 40-hour law," BHP said in a statement announcing the deal.