South African gold firms to appeal ruling on silicosis class action suit

JOHANNESBURG, June 3 (Reuters) - South African gold mining firms plan to appeal a High Court ruling that allowed class action suits seeking damages for up to half a million miners who contracted the fatal lung disease silicosis and tuberculosis, the companies said on Friday.

"The companies are applying for leave to appeal because they believe that the court's ruling on some of these issues is incorrect and that another court may come to a different decision," the Occupational Lung Disease Working Group, which represents the firms, said in a statement. (Reporting by TJ Strydom; Editing by James Macharia)