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By South Africa Press Association

JOHANNESBURG, July 26 -- The biggest mineworkers'
strike in 16 years in the gold industry could go ahead as
planned on Sunday night if National Union of Mineworkers
members reject a revised wage offer, union spokesperson
Gwede Mantashe said on Saturday.

Mantashe said the South African Chamber of Mines, which
negotiates on behalf of Anglogold, Harmony, and Goldfeilds,
had put new offers on the table in a meeting on Saturday in
a bid to avert the looming strike.

quot;I have sent the members' representatives to the regions to
report to our members.

quot;I am expecting them to report back to me by Sunday
afternoon. Then we will know our way forward. At the moment
things remain the same. We are not calling off the strike,quot;
Mantashe said.

Chamber of Mines' chief negotiator Frans Barker said all
the mining houses offered a 10 percent wage increase across
the board. They also offered to complete job grading
exercises before the end of the year.

quot;We are optimistic they will not strike because NUM said it
will recommend the new offer to its members,quot; he said.

Baker suggested if the strike went ahead as planned the loss
of production would be R125m a day; lost wages would be
R50m a day and the country would lose R125m a day in
exports.

If the members reject the new offer, there was a strong
possibility that 100,000 workers would down tools on Sunday
night.

Mantashe said the strike would begin with the night shift.