Anglo American says protesters end Chilean mine occupation

(Adds comment from Anglo, background)

SANTIAGO, Dec (Shanghai: 600875.SS - news) 1 (Reuters) - A five-day illegal occupation of its Los Bronces copper mine in Chile (Stuttgart: 704599.SG - news) has ended, Anglo American (LSE: AAL.L - news) said on Thursday, adding that it was investigating the extent of damage caused by protesting contract workers.

Operations at the mine have been suspended since Saturday (Shenzhen: 002291.SZ - news) , when contract workers seized the installations, demanding better terms and benefits similar to those on staff.

The company was evaluating when it would be safe to restart operations at the mine, Anglo said.

"Early Thursday, a team from Anglo American entered Los Bronces to check on the serious damage caused to the installations, especially those occupied by the workers, and to evaluate generally the situation," the company said.

Los Bronces is Anglo's main copper operation in Chile. Codelco, Mitsui & Co and Mitsubishi Corp (LSE: 7035.L - news) also own stakes in the mine.

Last year, the Anglo American Sur complex, which includes Los Bronces and the smaller El Soldado mine, produced 437,800 tonnes of copper out of Chile's total 5.76 million.

(Reporting by Rosalba O'Brien Editing by W Simon)