South Africa's biggest mining union said it had asked its 100,000 striking gold miners to accept the latest wage offer by the Chamber of Mines, and could end a costly strike later on Thursday. Some 110,000 South African striking gold miners from two unions have paralysed gold producers in the world's top bullion producer since they started their strike on Sunday in the gold sector's first industry-wide strike in 18 years. South Africa's Chamber of Mines, which negotiates on behalf of gold producers, gave the unions a new wage offer late on Wednesday, raising wages between 6 and 7 percent and said it was optimistic of a settlement. "We will know later this morning what our members' views are on the offer, but we have asked the branch leaders to recommend that they take it," Gwede Mantashe, general secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers told Reuters. "We'll be getting their feedback, and if it is positive, we could end the strike this evening (Thursday)."
