Latest industry to strike over wages

Around 200,000 workers in the gold sector will go on strike on Thursday, the National Union of Mineworkers (Num) said.

Spokesman Lesiba Seshoka said on Tuesday a 48-hour strike notice  was issued to the Chamber of Mines on Monday night after wage talks  deadlocked.

Chamber spokesman Jabu Maphalala said they had not received a strike notification. There were no formal plans to return to the negotiating table.

Anglogold Ashanti and Gold Fields had offered the lowest-paid workers an increase of nine percent, middle categories 8.5 percent and the highest categories eight percent.

Harmony and Rand Uranium tabled an 8.5% offer for the lowest, 8% for the middle and 7% for the highest categories.

The final offers were made at negotiations facilitated by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.

The Num and United Association of SA have demanded a 14 percent wage increase, while Solidarity wanted 12%.