Some 70,000 construction workers in South Africa have gone on strike, halting work on stadiums being built for the 2010 World Cup. Unions are threatening to wreck the tournament if their demands for a 13% wage increase are not met. Organisers say they are confident the grounds will still be ready unless the strike continues for months. A court on Monday rejected a request from the employers to declare the indefinite strike illegal. The BBC's Mpho Lakaje in Soweto says scores of workers are outside Soccer City stadium wearing blue overalls and brandishing sticks. "We are struggling for our country," they chanted after downing their tools at midday. The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), whose members include construction workers, has rejected the 10% wage increase offer from employers. Six entirely new stadiums are being built for the World Cup, while four are being modernised. Correspondents say if the strike continues of greater concern will be projects such as the high-speed rail link between the airport and Johannesburg, scheduled to be operational just two weeks before the tournament starts. This is the first time the football World Cup will be hosted in Africa. Source: BBC