South Africa’s NUM labour union demands 15% wage hike from gold companies

South Africa’s National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) wants a 15% wage increase across the board for employees in the gold mining sector, as well as minimum pay of 15,000 rand ($1,065), the union said on Thursday.

Soaring global gold prices over the past year have seen earning by gold firms surge, but the companies have argued that above-inflation increases are unrealistic.

In the statement NUM said it expected firms to “come up with many excuses”, and that they would respond “with the required militancy”.

(By Mfuneko Toyana; Editing by Jan Harvey)