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South African Lonmin miners end strike

19 September 2012 09:01 (UTC +04:00)

Baku - APA-Economics. LONMIN platinum mine workers in South Africa have ended their strike in return for pay rises of up to 22 percent, after a nearly six-week standoff that claimed 45 lives.

Under a deal hammered out after more than three weeks of talks, and signed late Tuesday by both sides, the miners will go back to work at 7:00 am (0500 GMT) Thursday in return for raises of between 11-22 percent plus bonuses.

``The workers are very happy with it,’’ said Bishop Jo Seoka, the president of the South African Council of Churches, who had brokered the talks.
``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.’’
President Jacob Zuma warned Monday that the country could ill afford a recession over the mine stoppages.

Zuma told a conference of the powerful Cosatu labour group that 4.5 billion rand ($548 million, 417 million euros) had been lost in gold and platinum production this year, and 118 million rand in the coal sector.