WORKERS at Skorpion Zinc Mine in the South are set to down tools today.

The Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) gave a deadline of eight o'clock this morning for the company to meet the workers' demands or to face industrial action.

MUN branch chairman, Michaeleno Kadhikwa yesterday told The Namibian that the union was prepared to "call off a strike if the company is willing to reach an agreement on the wage dispute".

"The company had so far failed to adequately meet the worker's demands," according to him.

Kadhikwa said that last-minute crucial wage talks on Wednesday, when the company and union lawyers tried to thrash out an agreement, ended in a deadlock.

This followed 21 days of unsuccessful conciliation sessions in Windhoek and at Rosh Pinah.

The wage talks began in October last year.

The last wage increase of seven per cent was in October 2005.

Since then there had been no increase for the workers, The Namibian was told.

The workers are demanding a two-digit wage hike of 14 per cent; the company is offering 10 per cent.

In addition, the workers want housing and transport allowances and overtime payments for working on weekends and holidays.

Skorpion Zinc Mine Communications Manager, Usi Hoebeb, yesterday confirmed that the company had been given 24-hours notice of a strike.

Hoebeb said the company had tried its utmost to resolve the wage dispute but to no avail.

However, he said, the company management would continue its efforts to find an amicable solution and to avert a strike, Hoebeb added.