2010 World Cup may be in jeopardy

The 2010 World Cup may be in jeopardy after South African construction workers have gone on strike.

The National Union of Mineworkers, a 70,000 strong group of construction workers responsible for building the stadiums related to the 2010 World Cup is demanding a 13 percent wage increase on their $310 a month salary.

According to the BBC, organizers say the Cup will go on, despite the protests that are rocking cities across South Africa. Still, if the upheaval continues for months, the World Cup construction on several new and renovated stadiums could suffer.

The BBC’s reporter Mpho Lakaje in Soweto said that many workers are outside the Soccer City stadium waving sticks and wearing construction uniforms.

“We are struggling for our country,” they chanted after downing their tools at midday.

The National Union of Mineworkers is the largest union in the country.

“The numbers that I’m getting seem to tell us that there has been a total shutdown today,” said union spokesman Lesiba Seshoka.

Earlier he said: “Our intention is to take it forever, so as long as the employers are not bringing what we want to the table.”

The National Union of Mineworkers rejected a 10 percent increase offer from employers, reported the BBC.

“The government must help us, otherwise we are going to delay 2010. We will strike until 2011,” AFP news agency quoted NUM spokesman Lesiba Seshoka as saying.

In total, six new stadiums are being built for the World Cup, and four are being refurbished.

“The construction workers have been the lifeblood of the 2010 Fifa World Cup project,” Danny Jordaan, head of the World Cup organizing committee said in a statement.

“Their hard work has ensured that we are on track to meet our deadlines and that our stadiums will be among the best in the world next year.”

The impending World Cup will be the first to be hosted by an African country and will no doubt bring in significant revenue to the impoverished nation.