Wage talks begin in ailing South Af. gold sector; Sides "Far Apart"

``Labour militancy has been on the rise, spurred by perceptions that, two decades after apartheid's demise, wages remain too low. But South Africa's gold industry is in trouble. According to the Chamber of Mines, costs between 2008 and 2014 rose on average by over 20 percent per year. Production over the past decade has declined by almost 8 percent annually.''