Richard Spoor, the lawyer leading a class action lawsuit against mining firms on behalf of thousands of workers who contracted silicosis due to lax safety regulations, is willing to talk to firms about the best procedure to resolve the battle. Because the case was unprecedented in South Africa…there were no rules on how to do it and talks with the 15 gold producers could help prevent the litigation from dragging on for years. He said a judge would decide on the process if companies failed to agree on a procedure…Spoor said the objective was to resolve the matter out of court. “If we reach an agreement, it (class action) could be easily resolved…" [refers to AngloGold Ashanti, Harmony Gold, Gold Fields, African Rainbow Minerals & DRDGold]