South Africa's AMCU union, platinum firms resume wage talks

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Wage talks between South Africa's AMCU union and the world's top three platinum producers resume on Tuesday with hopes that progress will be made by the end of the week to end a nearly two-week strike.

Members of the hardline Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) walked out at Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) AMSJ.J , Impala Platinum IMPJ.J and Lonmin LMI.L last month demanding their monthly wages be more than doubled.

Mining companies have said the wage demands are unaffordable and unrealistic. The strike has hit around 40 percent of global platinum supply.

Government mediators said on Sunday they had tabled a proposal to end the strike but did not give details.

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Amplats chief executive Chris Griffith said on Monday there might be progress by the end of this week as people on the ground "don't want this to be a protracted strike."

(Reporting by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo; Editing by Ed Cropley)

((Olivia.Kumwenda@thomsonreuters.com)(+27 11 775 3159)(Reuters Messaging: olivia.kumwenda.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

Keywords: SAFRICA STRIKES/