Chile labor leader ends hunger strike at Codelco copper

SANTIAGO, May 15 (Reuters) - The leader of subcontract workers at Chile state copper miner Codelco ended a hunger strike on Thursday after Chilean President Michelle Bachelet endorsed new labor agreements between workers and the company.

"Cristian Cuevas is desisting from the hunger strike. He is going to trust in the word of the president," a source close to the fiery labor leader told Reuters.

Bachelet, Chile's first woman president, came to power in early 2006 after an election campaign in which she lent support to the subcontractors' fight for equal pay for equal work.

She gave her word this week that Codelco would adhere to accords ending the recent the strike at three of its divisions.

The end to Cuevas' hunger strike was the strongest sign yet that workers could return to fully normal operations at Codelco, and not raise strike banners again.

Workers suspended a three-week strike on May 5 but had threatened to resume protests unless Codelco showed signs of complying with the agreements.

The sometimes violent protests were the latest in a series of strikes over the past three years that have hurt output at Codelco, the world's largest copper producer.

During the strikes in April and early May, copper prices rose to record highs on global markets.

The protests gave fodder for local and international debate on labor conditions in the mining sector and saw the Church, companies and government ministers sound off on the issue.