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Johannesburg - Wage negotiations in the gold mining industry will resume between the Chamber of Mines and unions on Wednesday, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said.
Spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka said the delegates were making their way to the negotiations.
Last week gold producers proposed a 4% pay rise for workers in the opening round of this year's wage talks.
"The employers have offered a 4% increase on basic pay across the board; and a 4% increase in the living-out or housing allowance," the gold producers said in a joint statement.
This was the opening offer at the meeting. The statement was issued on behalf of the Chamber of Mines and the producers.
Participating in the negotiations were producers AngloGold Ashanti, Evander Gold Mine, Gold Fields, Harmony Gold, Rand Uranium, Sibanye Gold, and Village Main Reef.
Unions involved were the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union, the NUM, Solidarity, and the United Association of SA.
Wage increases were based on the declining gold price, spiralling costs, and falling gold production and productivity, employers said.
On Tuesday Seshoka said: "We have rejected that four percent with the contempt that it deserves."
The NUM wanted surface workers to earn a minimum of R7 000 a month, and underground and open-cast workers R8000 a month. Seshoka said the four-percent increase would not be sufficient.
"We don't expect that [the negotiations] will finish today. If you are still at four percent you are not negotiating. We are hoping that the negotiations will start today."
