By Olivia Kumwenda
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the world's biggest diamond producer De Beers said on Monday they were likely to sign a wage deal that could prevent a strike at the company's operations.
The union had planned to strike starting on Sunday, but pushed the industrial action back by three days following a new offer made by De Beers late on Friday.
In its latest offer, De Beers, 45 percent owned by global miner Anglo American, proposed raising wages by between 9.5-10 percent. The union had originally asked for 15 percent.
"(The company) has formally tabled their 9.5-10 percent increases so we will interact with our members later today, it looks likely that we will sign the deal on Wednesday," NUM spokesman Lesiba Seshoka told Reuters.
De Beers said a resolution certificate had been issued by the South Africa's Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) and the next step is for the agreement to be signed "at a time convenient to the union and company."
"Nothing else is coming up, this is done and dusted," De Beers' Johannesburg-based spokesman Tom Tweedy said.
