FOCUS-S.Africa gold, coal strike talks drag on
11:48 a.m. Aug 16, 1999 Eastern
By Darren Schuettler
JOHANNESBURG, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Talks to avert a national strike in South Africa's gold and coal mines were expected to drag into Monday night with both sides still hopeful of reaching a new wage agreement.
About 150,000 members of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) plan to down tools on Tuesday if talks with the industry's Chamber of Mines fail.
``We're still negotiating. It's tough, but I am hopeful. We'll be here for a long time,' Frans Barker, the Chamber's head of industrial relations, told Reuters.
Union leaders and management have been negotiating since 12 p.m. (1000 GMT) on a new wage deal to replace the two-year agreement that expired on July 1.
``It's still not clear at this point. I cannot say yes or no,' NUM spokesman George Molebatsi said when asked about the chances for a settlement later today.
The Chamber has offered gold miners an increase of between eight and 8.5 percent, while coal workers were offered up to 7.5 percent. The NUM is seeking an average nine percent increase for gold and coal miners.
A softer bullion price and uncertainty over the wage negotiations hammered South African gold stocks on Monday. Johannesburg's key gold index closed down 42.9 points, or 4.05 percent, at 1017.2.
South Africa is the world's biggest gold producing country with output of 464 tonnes in 1998.
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