SAfrica unions say hit deadlock in gold sector wages

JOHANNESBURG, June 11 (Reuters) - South Africa's mineworkers unions said on Thursday they had reached a deadlock with gold producers over wage demands and would hold a strike should an arbitration authority fail to reconcile the parties.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the Solidarity trade union said in separate statements gold producers had raised their wage offer to 7 percent from 6 percent, but both unions rejected the increase and called in the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) to arbitrate.

Mine workers have demanded a 15 percent pay rise.

"It has always been our intention to bargain in good faith, to try reach a settlement through negotiations..., but this year looks like we will have to use a different tool in strike action," Frans Baleni, the NUM general secretary said.

(Reporting by James Macharia)