Construction to grind to a halt

Johannesburg - About 70 000 construction workers are set to down tools at 2010 World Cup stadia on Wednesday to demand higher wages.

The National Union of Mineworkers (Num) is demanding a 13% salary increase. According to an I-Net Bridge report, an improved wage offer from the South African Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors (Safcec) to Num and BCAWU of 10.4% was rejected by the unions on Tuesday.

"It is unfortunate that we are dealing with very arrogant employers... we have reduced our demands," said Num secretary general Frans Baleni on Wednesday morning.

"[But] on our side we are always open to engagement," he told SABC radio news.

Baleni said more talks were scheduled to take place on Thursday.

But Safcec said on Tuesday that the workers' demands were equivalent to an increase of 65% in rand terms.

The Black Construction Council said a strike was "long overdue".

"It is a shame for these Safcec-led groups to believe what labour demands is unreasonable. The construction boom was not inflation driven, so to believe workers only deserve inflation driven increases is wrong," the council's president Sam Moleshiwa said in a statement.

"Over 70 000 construction workers will on Wednesday down tools,"

Num spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka announced earlier this week, after winning a ruling in its favour in the Labour Court.

The 2010 World Cup stadiums expected to be affected include the Moses Mobhida in Durban, Nelson Mandela in Port Elizabeth, Peter Mokaba in Polokwane, Green Point in Cape Town, Mbombela in Nelspruit, Soccer City and Mthatha stadiums.

The Fifa deadline for the completion of all stadiums is October 15 this year.

- Sapa