Johannesburg - The possible strike by construction workers will not affect the deadline to have 2010 FIFA World Cup stadia completed six months ahead of the tournament.
"We are confident that the stadia will be completed six months before the tournament and we will deliver on the FIFA's requirements," said Organising Committee Chairperson Dr Irvin Khoza.
He was addressing the media following a meeting of board members of the Local Organising Committee on Thursday.
Dr Khoza said the LOC board's executive committee would be meeting with the respective unions to engage on various issues concerning the workers.
Construction workers at World Cup stadiums, including Soccer City in Johannesburg and Moses Mabida Stadium in Durban, are planning to down tools next Wednesday. They are demanding a 13 percent wage increase and to be put on formal skills, training and development programmes.
The current offer by employer body, represented by the South African Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors (Safcec), is 10 percent.
Dr Khoza told reporters that although it was vital to resolve the dispute, the LOC had no intention of interfering with the workers construction workers' constitutional rights.
He further said that during the 2008 World Cup in France there had also been a strike which resulted in a complete collapse of the transport system a week before of the event.
"The World Cup in France proceeded successfully despite of the strike. Therefore as the LOC, we are confident that everything will work according to plans and stadiums will be completed in due dates," Dr Khoza said.
All the ten stadiums for the 2010 World Cup are anticipated to be completed in December this year and the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was completed last month and ready for the world biggest sporting event.
Meanwhile, as part of its contribution to the world cup preparations, government injected R8.4- to the building and upgrading of stadiums and host cities contributed additional funds required for other necessities
