ZCTU Backs Striking South African WorkersWASHINGTON DC — The strike for higher wages by South African automobile, construction and airport workers continues this week with other sectors such as transport, mining and retail expected to join in next week if current negotiations fail to yield positive results. Congress of South African Trade Unions spokesman Patrick Craven says it’s not a huge number of workers who are striking, but the industrial action has “potential economic consequences”. The workers are demanding salary increases of between 12 and 14 percent with Craven saying there are specific issues in each particular sector. Last year over 30 mine workers were killed by the police following clashes between rival unions. Craven said there is anger among workers that South Africa is basically a very rich country and yet so many people live in conditions of extreme poverty, including those who are working. Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions secretary general Japhet Moyo says the strike by South African workers will soon have an impact on Zimbabwe because it gets most of some basic goods from that nation.