Sept 3 (Reuters) - Striking South African state workers held protests on Friday as union and government negotiators prepared for bargaining next week aimed at ending a three-week walkout.
The strike by about 1.3 million state workers has shut schools, caused chaos at hospitals and cost the economy about $150 million a day, according to the estimates of one economist.
Following are some of the other labour actions this year:
* One of the year's most costly strikes was a three-week rail and port walkout at the state logistics group Transnet in May that cost the economy about $1 billion in lost production and sales. Unions said they won an 11 percent pay increase.
* Workers who comprise the bulk of the workforce at state power utility Eskom in June won a 9 percent wage increase and a 1,500 rand housing allowance after threatening a strike that could have cut electricity during the World Cup.
* About 30,000 autoworkers seeking a 15 percent wage hike went on strike in August, dealing a blow to production in the Africa's biggest car-making state. They accepted a three-year deal, with workers receiving a 10 percent increase this year, and 9 percent a year in the next two years.
* Richards Bay Minerals, a Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton joint venture, this week reached a wage deal to end a week-long strike. RBM says it agreed to an 8 percent pay rise with the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) for 2010 and a 7 percent increase each for 2011 and 2012.
* The NUM said that more than 8,000 workers seeking 15 percent pay increases at Northam Platinum would go on strike on Monday.
* About 6,000 unionised tyre and rubber workers went on strike this week.
* About 70,000 workers at petrol stations, garages and auto dealerships went on strike this week, seeking 20 percent wage increases.
* About 5,000 employees at the company's Zondereinde mine stopped work for a day in July to protest what they say are inadequate safety measures. (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall) (For more Reuters Africa cover visit: http://af.reuters.com/ -- To comment on this story email:SouthAfrica.Newsroom@reuters.com) ($1=7.407 Rand)