Strike threatens pledge to Fifa

Johannesburg - The World Cup organising committee will "engage" construction industry trade unions about a looming strike over wages, it said in Johannesburg on Thursday.

The organising committee has promised Fifa the stadiums to be used for the World Cup will be finished six months before the tournament starts on June 11 2010, organising committee chairperson Irvin Khoza said in Johannesburg on Thursday. A strike could put paid to that, he said.

At this stage, though, all the committee knew of the impending industrial action was that the media was reporting that a major strike was expected.

"While we acknowledge and accept and recognise the democratic right [of workers to strike], there are issues we want to understand as a board," said Khoza.

It was important that it kept itself informed because it needed to understand the possible impact of a strike. It wanted to hear both sides.

"This matter is now referred to the [executive committee] of the board to engage the respective unions," he said.

He stressed that the board had no intention of interfering with workers' right to strike. It was a right they were constitutionally guaranteed and it was important to observe and respect that right.

A total of 10 stadiums will be used in the tournament. Five are already operational - including the newly-built stadium at Nelson Mandela Bay, in Port Elizabeth.

Another five are still under construction: Soccer City, in Johannesburg, is undergoing a major upgrade; and four stadiums are being built from scratch in Polokwane, Nelspruit, Durban and Cape Town. It is these which will be affected if there is a strike.

Construction workers plan to down tools at the world cup sites on Wednesday after wage negotiations deadlocked on June 26.

The Building Construction and Allied Workers' Union (BCAWU) has served notice of strike action.

BCAW is asking for a 13% wage increase. Employers are offering 10%. The union also wants formal skills, training and development programmes for workers and a retirement fund set up in the industry.

The SA Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors (SAFCEC) has indicated that it intends applying for an interdict to stop the strike on the grounds that it is premature.

"In considering strike action, the union... [has] taken into consideration the national interests surrounding 2010 Soccer World Cup stadiums and road infrastructure," BCAWU general secretary Narius Moloto said earlier this week.

Apart from stadiums, the strike could affected the King Shaka International Airport, the Kusile project, Eskom's Medupi project, the Coega project, the Livingston hospital and the Gautrain.

Speaking after the organising committee's post-Confederations Cup board meeting on Thursday, Khoza said it was not unusual to see unions striking during or just before major events.

Apologising to Frenchman Jerome Valcke, who is the secretary general of Fifa, Khoza said there was a complete collapse of the transport system in France a week or two before the world cup was held there.

The same thing had happened in France with the rugby world cup.

The board meeting was attended by outgoing SA Football Association president Molefi Oliphant, organising committee chief executive officer Danny Jordaan, Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Khoza, Valke, Justice Minister Jeff Radebe and Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale.

- Sapa