De Beers in talks to avert SAfrica strike

JOHANNESBURG, July 23 (Reuters) - South Africa's largest mineworker's union said on Wednesday the world's top diamond producer De Beers had called for a last minute meeting to resolve a wage dispute on the eve of a strike by the union.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), which represents 3,400 workers at De Beers, has said the one-day strike would bring De Beers to "its knees", and shut its South African mines.

De Beers is 45 percent owned by Anglo American (AAL.L).

"The diamond giant has called for an urgent meeting with NUM negotiators in a last minute bid to avoid the looming strike action," Peter Bailey, the NUM's negotiator at De Beers, said.

The NUM has demanded 13.5 percent from De Beers, while the diamond producer has offered 11 percent over two years.

The NUM called the strike after an arbitration authority failed to successfully mediate the wage dispute.

South Africa's annual CPIX inflation rate hit a fresh 5-1/2 year high in May of 10.9 percent, spurring demands from workers for double-digit pay increases.

Soaring fuel, food and electricity prices, and rising interest rates have been felt by workers, who have started a series of rolling strikes to protest the increases under the country's umbrella labour federation, Cosatu. (Reporting by James Macharia; editing by Michael Roddy)