A worker died, six were injured, and nine arrested during the country-wide strikes this week.

The engineering, gold, chemicals, and coal sectors were negotiating with employers for higher wages.

During the engineering sector strike a worker died when he was hit by a car in Germiston, National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) spokesman Castro Ngobese said on Friday.

Two people were injured when a supervisor at an engineering company in Krugersdorp shot at striking protesters who were assaulting working employees on Friday, Gauteng police said.

The supervisor and the two protesters, who were taken to hospital, were arrested.

Four Numsa members were also injured after police fired rubber bullets during a strike in Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg on Thursday.

There were also claims that police had harassed, intimidated, and shot at strikers in Bellville and Germiston.

Numsa and the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) condemned the "police brutality" and called on Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa and National Police Commissioner Bheki Cele to take "drastic action" against the policemen.

However, the Steel and Engineering Industries' Federation of SA (Seifsa) said pockets of strikers were moving from company to company to find and intimidate non-strikers, damaging property, and trespassing.

Ekurhuleni metro police said nine Numsa members were arrested for public violence in Germiston on Thursday.

Constable Mashudu Phatela said they were allegedly burning tyres and throwing stones at passing motorists.

Over 117,000 workers in the metal and engineering sector downed tools on Monday in pursuit of between 10 and 13 percent wage increases. Employers were offering seven percent.

Workers were striking in Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, East London, and Cape Town. Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal workers held demonstrations on Monday, while workers in the Free State and Northern Cape started their work stoppage on Tuesday.

Numsa, which represents about 120,000 workers, was joined by five other trade unions -- the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood, and Allied Workers' Union (Ceppwawu), the Metal and Electrical Workers' Union (Mewusa), United Association of SA (Uasa), Solidarity, and the SA Equity Workers' Association (Saewa).

Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini on Wednesday said the engineering sector strike was only the beginning of workers' fight for a living wage.

Economist Chris Hart on Friday said strikes over wage negotiations were becoming routine, which suggested there was policy and regulation failure.

The violence associated with South Africa's strikes also had an implication.

"The violence suggests that there is a lack of control which is not good for investment," he said.

"Labour instability does nothing for job creation; if anything it damages it from an investment point of view."

Two "victims" arose from non-productivity during strikes. The customer, who ended up paying more, and the unemployed, he said.

The protests by workers also reduced South Africa's competitiveness with the rest of world.

The solution was productive negotiations between unions and employers, Hart said.

"...but we [South Africa] are not there yet."

About 5000 Ceppwawu members went on strike on Tuesday over a salary dispute.

The union wanted a 13 percent salary increase on the grounds of rising daily costs.

The gold and coal sectors declared disputes with their employees over wage negotiations.

The Chamber of Mines was negotiating on behalf of employers in both sectors.

Workers in the gold sector threatened to go on strike next week if wage negotiations with the chamber came to a deadlock.

The National Union of Mineworker (NUM), Uasa, and Solidarity were representing unionised employees working for chamber member companies such as AngloGold Ashanti, Harmony Gold, and Goldfields.

The NUM and Uasa hoped to raise the chamber's offer from 4.2 to 14 percent. Solidarity members wanted 12 percent.

Solidarity said it submitted the lower figure in light of the current production environment and 4.6 percent consumer price inflation.

It felt the figure, although still above inflation, would help retain skilled employees.

Although inflation was at 4.6 percent, workers faced hefty electricity and rates increases, food price increases, and the imminent introduction of road tolls.

The chamber recently said production in the gold mining industry had consistently declined and it faced pressure from the high costs of electricity, water, and fuel.

Chamber negotiator Elize Strydom said it had increased its offer to five percent for the lowest paid employees and 4.5 percent for the rest.

The coal sector started salary talks on Thursday.

Coal companies have offered a 4.5 percent increase for the lowest category employees and 4.2 percent for all others.

A full-blown strike in the petroleum and pharmaceuticals sector will kick off on Monday, Ceppwawu said.

About 70,000 workers are expected to go on strike.

This would include members of the General Industries Workers' Union of SA (Giwusa) and the Tissue and Allied Union.

Workers wanted a wage increase of 11 to 13 percent across the board and a minimum wage of R6000 a month.

       
-Sapa