News: RIO UPDATE 1-Escondida union and BHP to go ahead with meeting on Monday

(Adds detail on meeting and mine access, context)

SANTIAGO, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Striking workers at Chilean copper mine Escondida and mine owner BHP Billiton (BHP) will go ahead with a meeting on Monday afternoon, the union told Reuters.

The government had invited the two sides to meet to try to find a way forward after a 12-day strike at the world's biggest copper mine, which has helped boost copper prices on expectations of tighter supply.

But there had been doubts as to whether the meeting would happen after the company stipulated over the weekend that it would only attend as long as strikers did not interfere with non-unionized service employees on their shift change.

The company said previously access to the mine had been blocked. But union spokesman Carlos Allendes said that buses containing the contractors had been allowed through on Monday.

BHP declined to comment but has previously said it will attend the meeting if its conditions were met.

The meeting was due to take place at 1600 local time (1900 GMT) and was aimed at returning the two sides to wage contract talks, after initial negotiations failed.

However, there remained significant differences to be worked out, on issues such as the company offering new workers lower benefits, shift pattern changes, a one-off bonus paid every four years, and other benefits.

Escondida, majority controlled by BHP with minority participations by Rio Tinto (RIO) and Japanese companies including Mitsubishi Corp <8058.T>, produced over 1 million tonnes of copper, about 5 percent of the world's total, last year.