SIBANYE Gold shareholders gave the company a hiding on its dismal quarterly update, in which costs soared and production fell for a number of reasons.The shares fell 11% on Monday as investors took a grim view despite the upbeat note sounded by Sibanye that it had left its full-year production target intact.The problem is that between now and the end of the year there are gold sector wage talks that include Sibanye and promise to be the toughest in many years. That target could well be missed.There are two unions fighting for traction at the expense of each other in the sector. They clearly want to show their members and potential new recruits they can wrest the best salary deal from the mining companies. What that means is there is likely to be a strike to push for these demands, and to show either union is muscular and has strong support.The miners, which have been positioning themselves ahead of the talks, have been clear they cannot afford large wage hikes. Sibanye CEO Neal Fron...
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