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SANTIAGO, Chile (CNN) -- Life started to return to normal in Chile this week after a six-day strike by nearly a half-million government workers.
Chileans protest last week in the capital of Santiago.
Garbage is being picked up, and hospitals and schools are open again.
Public employees had been demanding a 14.5 percent pay increase but settled for 10 percent offered by the government on Friday.
The government initially had offered 6.5 percent.
The increase for the 450,000 government workers -- from the president on down -- goes into effect December 10.
Striking workers had taken to the streets last week, staging large protests in most of Chile's major cities.
Because of the strike, garbage piled up in the streets, 18 hospitals were paralyzed and 3,000 surgeries were postponed.
Even weddings and autopsies were not performed.
All About Chile • Labor Strikes and Disputes
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