South African unions representing gold miners met with employers for final wage talks on Tuesday, saying a strike was "highly likely" if they fail to reach a deal and piling pressure on President Jacob Zuma.

"The possibility of a strike action is great and is becoming greater as each hour passes by. (The employers) are refusing to budge," National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) spokesman Lesiba Seshoka told Reuters during the negotiations.

A gold miners' strike, adding to a wave of industrial action in Africa's biggest economy, would raise pressures on Zuma to adopt a more leftist approach to economic policy.

South Africa's powerful unions helped propel Zuma to power in an April election on a pro-poor platform and they are using strikes, their most powerful weapon, to push their agenda.

Zuma has vowed to keep pro-business policies credited with fuelling Africa's biggest economy under predecessor Thabo Mbeki, but investors are watching for signs of rising union influence.

Workers in the gold sector last week rejected the latest offer of a rise of between 8 and 10 percent, said the NUM, South Africa's biggest union.

The NUM is demanding a 15 percent wage hike, arguing that gold prices are near record highs. The smaller Solidarity union also turned down an offer from employers last week, calling it "unacceptable". Consumer inflation is 8 percent.

Talks are expected to continue until late on Tuesday.

Source: Reuters