Members of South Africa's largest mine workers union are unlikely to be joining countrywide sympathy strike action scheduled this week, the union's deputy secretary general has stated.

This Wednesday is expected to see much of South Africa's industry temporarily paralysed as workers strike to express solidarity with civil servants who are taking industrial action in pursuit of a ten per cent pay increase.

However, according to Oupa Komane of the National Union of Mineworkers, legal complications are set to rule out the participation of much of the country's miners.

He told Reuters: "We have been consulting with our lawyers, but so far we have not found a legal mechanism.

"It's very unlikely that we'll be able to participate (in the sympathy strike)."

However, he added that mine workers will join the demonstrations being undertaken by workers from other industries during their breaks and on days when they are not on duty.

The civil servants' strike has now run for 12 days, and has escalated to the extent that the country's government is to begin mass dismissals.

Source:

Unlikely SA miners will join civil servant strike in sympathy, 12/06/07
http://www.mineweb.net/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page504?oid=22054&sn=Detail

African NUM says unlikely to join sympathy strike, 12/06/07
http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL1192048.html

Ÿ Adfero Ltd