Soldiers patrol the strife-torn mine
Johannesburg: Striking workers at the London-listed Lonmin platinum mine in South Africa have secured a 22 percent pay hike and will resume work on Thursday, ending a six-week deadly wildcat strike, a mediator said Tuesday.
“The actual increase is about 22 percent, which is very high,” said Bishop Jo Seoka, South African Council of Churches president who brokered the talks between the miners and their employer.
The world’s third largest platinum mine will also give the workers a 2,000 ($245) bonus in addition to the pay rise offer already made in response to their wage demands.
“The workers are very happy with it (wage offer) and so we believe that what has happened here has been a victory really for the workers, and they’re going to work on Thursday morning,” Seoka said.
The wage strike, which started on August 10 and spread to other platinum and gold mines in the country, triggered growing concerns that the industrial action would dent the economy of Africa’s wealthiest country.
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