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Johannesburg - Wage talks in coal sector will continue on Thursday after unions and companies made some progress on Wednesday, labour sources said.
Unions have been seeking wage hikes of up to 60% for entry-level workers and 15% for other categories, but a speedy resolution to a gold strike earlier this month has raised hopes that such action can be averted in the coal fields.
, general secretary of the of Mineworkers (), told Reuters the union had "modified" its demands and was hoping for a revised offer from employers. He said the gap was closing.
A source with the , which represents mostly skilled workers, told Reuters that "negotiations were at a very sensitive stage" and that the sides would meet again at midday on Thursday.
Solidarity had been seeking increases of around 10%.
A coal strike would be further bad news for , already reeling from the impact of the brief gold stoppage and a far more serious one in the auto making sector that cost companies $2bn in lost revenue.
But a protracted coal strike, which could affect supplies to power utility Eskom, does not seem likely.
is the world's fifth-largest coal producer and is a major exporter of the commodity. Last year it shipped 68.3 million tonnes of coal from the .
Chamber of Mines is negotiating on behalf of several coal producers, including units of global mining giants Anglo American and Glencore. About 20 000 unionised workers are involved in the talks.
The Association of , which takes a harder line with companies than its rival , does not have members at the coal producers in the negotiations.
