BHP says strike at SAfrica plant won't affect output

JOHANNESBURG, Aug 26 - BHP Billiton <BHP.AX> said on Wednesday that a strike planned for Thursday by a metalworkers union would not affect production at its South African manganese alloy plant.

BHP said in a statement it had offered workers a 7 percent wage rise rather than 2 percent as claimed by the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa), whose members plan to down tools at the global miner.

"We do not believe that the strike will impact current and planned production levels," the company said.

BHP said its Samancor Manganese's Metalloys plant where the workers have threatened to go on strike has been operating below 50 percent of its capacity after closing for three months earlier this year due to the global recession.

Rather than laying off staff or reduce the working days as a result of poor business caused by the global economic downturn, BHP said it had chosen to control costs to mitigate the effects of the global economic downturn on employees.