paid workers, to bridge the gap with the more skilled staff. Listed steel firms Mittal Steel S.A. and its smaller rival Highveld Steel & Vanadium would not be affected by the strike, nor would Columbus Stainless Ltd. because they conducted their negotiations separately. The SEIFSA (Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of South Africa) negotiates on behalf of most of its about 2,300 members. The group was not immediately available for comment. Last week SEIFSA said it been notified of a strike action by the unions, but had hoped to resolve the dispute on an informal basis.
