Miners ‘excited to go back to work’

Workers walk past Lonmin's Marikana platinum mine on June 24, 2014. The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) signed wage agreements with platinum producers this week and miners are set to return to work. Picture: Skyler Reid

Workers walk past Lonmin's Marikana platinum mine on June 24, 2014. The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) signed wage agreements with platinum producers this week and miners are set to return to work. Picture: Skyler Reid

Published Jun 25, 2014

Share

Johannesburg -

Amcu's workers in the platinum sector are expected to return to work on Wednesday after a five-month strike.

The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union and the platinum producers signed an agreement to end the strike on Tuesday at Lonmin's offices in Melrose Arch, Johannesburg.

Lonmin CEO Ben Magara said the end to the platinum strike had brought a stop to the hardships that South Africa had suffered in the last few months.

Amcu’s shop steward at Impala Platinum, Abram Seaketso, said everyone was excited that they were going back to work.

On January 23, Amcu members at Lonmin, Impala Platinum and Anglo American Platinum downed tools, demanding a monthly basic salary of R12 500.

After five months of negotiations, Amcu announced on Monday that the platinum strike was officially over and it would sign wage agreements with the platinum producers.

The union accepted wage settlements on Monday that would increase the basic salary of the lowest-paid worker by R1 000 over three years, excluding other benefits, union leader Joseph Mathunjwa told about 20 000 members at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace in Phokeng, near Rustenburg.

Some workers would receive R12 500 before the end of the agreement, he said. - Sapa

Related Topics: