Corporacion Nacional del Cobre, or Codelco, executives and union officials Tuesday said they hope to avoid conflict in upcoming wage negotiations at the Andina division.

"There's a very good disposition on the side of the (union) leaders as well as in the management...in a process where both sides want to reach the best accord," Codelco Chief Executive Jose Pablo Arellano told reporters after meeting officials of Andina's SUT union in the town of Los Andes in the Andean foothills north of Santiago.

Chilean copper workers have demanded their share of the windfall earnings associated with the metal's three-year rally in global markets.

While strong demand, above all from China, has led to the price increase, strikes and accidents leading to production stoppages have played a major role in triggering price spikes.

Andina division executives will carry out the talks in keeping with Chilean labor law, Arellano added.

Manuel Canas, president of the 650-member SUT union, said "we want to build a different relationship" after Codelco submitted separate, different wage proposals to the two unions at Andina the previous time around, triggering a dispute.

The union is scheduled to submit its wage demands between Oct. 16-21.

It seeks to improve working and living conditions and environmental protection beyond basic wage demands, Canas added.

Andina workers earn an average 730,000 pesos ($1,380) a month, compared with "an estimated" post-tax salary over CLP5 million earned by senior management, the SUT said ahead of the meeting.

Tuesday's meeting came as the strike at BHP Billiton PLC's (BHP) Escondida mine in far northern Chile entered its 16th day.

While Arellano declined to comment on that conflict, Canas said the SUT was more interested in the relationship evolving between the Escondida workers and management than in their specific demands.

Workers and management in Chile's copper industry are watching the Escondida dispute closely as it may set a precedent for upcoming negotiations at other mines.

BHP Billiton PLC (BHP) controls Escondida with a 57.5% stake, while Rio Tinto PLC (RTP) holds 30%, a Mitsubishi Corp. (8058.TO)-led Japanese consortium 10%, and International Finance Corp. 2.5%.