South Africa Strikes Spread to Transport Sector South Africa's labor strikes spread Tuesday from its mines to the transport sector and the country's transport union says over 20,000 road freight employees are on strike demanding a pay increase. South African Transport and Allied Workers' Union said road freight employees are demanding a 12 percent pay increase. Employers had offered an 8.5 percent increase, an offer that was rejected in the Gauteng province earlier Tuesday, SATAWU spokesman Vincent Masoga said. The workers also want an equal increase for workers classified under the council's extended bargaining unit, he said. Striking truck drivers gathered in Johannesburg Tuesday, and threw stones at passing trucks, according to the South Africa Press Association. The union said workers decided to strike after a deadlock in wage negotiations since June. If it continues the strike will affect the delivery of goods including gasoline and food items. Also Tuesday, mine workers for the Anglo American Platinum mines near Rustenburg met with management and arbitrators to discuss demands submitted last week for greater pay. Gaddafi Mdoda said Tuesday that strikes at about six of the Amplats mines near Rustenburg will continue until a deal is reached. "On the memorandum, we are pleading that we want 16,000 rands ($2,000) gross monthly pay, but after tax we are basically in need of 12,500," said miners' representative Gaddafi Mdoda. Striking miners at Lonmin PLC, a platinum mine in South Africa's north west, had demanded a take-home pay of 12,500 rand, but eventually they accepted a 22 percent pay raise that gave them a monthly pay of 11,000 rand ($1,375). The deal was reached after nearly six weeks of sometimes violent protests that saw 46 people killed. The Lonmin deal has led to other miners in the area to demand the same, and to sidestep their unions to deal directly with management. Amplats spokeswoman Mpumi Sithole told The Associated Press that she did not have updates on the talks Tuesday, or the number of miners striking. Anglo American Platinum is the world's largest producer of the metal used in jewelry and to reduce carbon emissions of high-end vehicles. Police broke up several gatherings last week at the Amplats mine settlements using tear gas. Mdoda said that five worker representatives are meeting directly with Amplats management and representatives from the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration, the same body that helped in Lonmin negotiations. Amplats miners will gather Wednesday, despite the outcome of talks Tuesday. Mdoda said he expected 9,000 to 10,000 workers at the Bleskop stadium near Rustenburg. "We are going to meet no matter what," Mdoda said. If it is negative, the strike will continue in a hard way because it's been a long time we've been waiting for the management to discuss our demands. Strikes at the Amplats mines have been ongoing for weeks despite calls from management that workers return to the mines or face legal action. Labor unrest is also ongoing in the gold mining sector. Nearly 25,000 workers are on strike at Gold Field's KDC West and Beatrix mines, spokesman Willie Jacobsz said Tuesday. Strikes at the KDC West mines started more than two weeks ago.