Solidarity union ends SAfrica metal strike

JOHANNESBURG, July 11 (Reuters) South Africa's Solidarity Union agreed to call off a strike by its metal and engineering workers as it entered its third day today, after employers raised their wage offer, the union said.

But the larger National Union of Metal Workers (NUMSA) said it had not yet decided to end its participation in the strike, which has involved around 260,000 workers in total at nearly 9,000 companies.

Solidarity said it had agreed to a wage hike of between 8 and 9 per cent and that its about 25,000 workers had agreed to end their strike.

''The wage agreement in the metal and engineering industry was signed by Solidarity only. NUMSA has yet to decide on the wage offer from the employers,'' said Solidarity's spokesman, Jaco Kleynhans.

NUMSA spokesman Mziwakhe Hlangani said the union was still consulting its members on whether to halt the strike.

''They will (consult) tomorrow and on Friday, we will meet the employers and tell them what our members have decided,'' Hlangani said.

The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of South Africa (SEIFSA), which represents most of the nearly 9,000 firms affected by the strike, said it had submitted a higher offer of 7.8 to 8.8 per cent.

SEIFSA, however, declined to confirm the strike was over since an agreement had yet to be formally signed, said Gordon Angus, the group's industrial relations adviser.

The National Union of Metal Workers, which represents the majority of workers in the sector, was not immediately available for comment.

The agreement also includes employee share ownership plans, Solidarity said.

Union members went on strike on Monday after wage talks were left deadlocked after firms offered a 7.3 to 7.8 per cent wage hike, lower than union demands for 10 per cent.

The strike has not affected top producers in the country.

Africa's biggest steel maker Mittal Steel South Africa, and Highveld Steel&Vanadium, South Africa's second largest, were unaffected as the firms negotiate directly with their workers.

But Anglo American has been hit by workers at its Scaw Metals unit staying away.

Unions had also said workers at Bell Equipment were part of the action.

The employers group earlier said the strike had been affecting only downstream sectors, but if it was not resolved within the next few days it could start hitting larger sectors, such as the motor and mining industries.

REUTERS SYU VV2230