SANTIAGO, Safar 5, 1436, Nov 27, 2014, SPA -- A labor reform bill that Chile's government expects to send Congress before the end of the year will be implemented gradually so as not to weigh on an economic recovery, Finance Minister Alberto Arenas said on Thursday, Reuters reported. The economy of the world's top copper producer has been slowing for several quarters, recently hitting a five-year low, on the back of falling consumption and stagnating investment, most notably in the mining sector. Conservative lawmakers and business owners have argued that President Michelle Bachelet's ambitious social reforms, aimed at reducing Chile's enormous income inequality, have fueled uncertainty and further crimped the economy. -- SPA 22:14 LOCAL TIME 19:14 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/1300109