Chile Escondida mine workers begin strike SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Workers began a strike at world No. 1 copper mine, Chile's Escondida, on Wednesday over pay and working conditions. The strike at the mine, majority owned by global miner BHP Billiton, began on Wednesday morning, without a specified end-time, union representative Marcelo Tapia said. Reporting by Rosalba O'Brien and Fabian Cambero; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick