Talks to avert WC2010 workers strike resume

Unions representing workers at South Africa’s World Cup stadiums will resume wage talks on Monday to avert a strike that could delay construction deadlines, SAPA news agency said on Friday.

Workers at five 2010 World Cup stadiums still under construction in Cape Town, Durban, Polokwane, Nelspruit and Johannesburg have threatened to down tools on Wednesday over wage disputes.

“The parties were looking for common ground and committed to meet again,” said Joe Campanella, spokesman for the South African Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors.

“Basically, we are back on negotiating terms, we have resumed talking to each other,” Campanella told SAPA.

The talks between the unions and the contractors body will be facilitated by the country’s labour relations body, the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration.

The union is demanding a wage increase of 13 percent wage increase, while the employers are offering 10 percent.

Ahead of next June’s kickoff, five World Cup stadiums have been completed so far and four were used during the Confederations Cup, which ended Sunday.