Exclusive: South Africa's NUM seeks 15-60 percent wage hikes from gold, coal producers

South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers said on Sunday it would seek pay hikes of up to 60 percent from the country's gold and coal producers in upcoming wage talks which are expected to be among the toughest ever.

NUM said it was seeking an entry-level minimum monthly wage of 7,000 rand ($750) for surface workers and 8,000 rand for those underground in a submission to the country's Chamber of Mines, a copy of which was seen by Reuters.

Elize Strydom, the industrial relations adviser at the Chamber of Mines, said the minimum wage for surface workers is currently 4,700 rand and for underground miners it is 5,000 rand, so the demands for the latter are 60 percent.

NUM also said it wanted 15 percent hikes for "all other wage categories", which would refer to more experienced and skilled workers.

($1 = 9.2816 South African rand)

(Additional reporting by Agnieszka Flak; editing by Keiron Henderson)