A meeting of affected parties aimed at ending the strike in the construction sector will go on into the evening, the National Union of Mineworkers said at 4.45pm on Thursday.

"It will go on into the evening and until later tonight ... I can't see it coming to an end yet," said Num spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka.

The meeting, which began at 10am, was convened by the Minister of Labour Membathisi Mdladlana and was attended by representatives of the SA Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors (Safcec), Num and the 2010 Local Organising Committee.

The strike, which affects most 2010 World Cup sites, began on Wednesday over a wage dispute between the Num and Safcec.

Num had demanded a 13 percent increase and the union had rejected outright Safcec's offer of 10.4 percent.

Safcec spokesman Joe Campanella, however, said the union had not taken into account the other aspects of the package.

Demands included not only the 13 percent salary hike, but an annual bonus, daily allowances, paid maternity leave and a minimum wage.

"If you take all those demands into account – and not only the 13 percent wage increase – then Safcec estimates that the union is asking for a 65 percent increase," he said.

Sapa