Over ten thousand miners at the world’s largest platinum producer, Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), in South Africa have been reinstated after an agreement was reached with the unions, the company said on Saturday.
The 12,000 miners, who were fired on October 5 following three weeks of violent illegal strikes, were expected to return to work in Rustenburg on Tuesday.
They had been on a wildcat strike since September 12, demanding to be paid a minimum of 16,000 rand (1,850 dollars) per month.
“The company has also offered a once off “hardship allowance” of 2,000 rand in order to assist employees with financial difficulties as a result of the no-work-no-pay principle,” the South African Press Association quoted Amplats as saying.
The agreement was reached a day after Cynthia Carroll, CEO of Anglo American, the parent company of Amplats, announced her resignation.
Strikes have recently hit several South African mines — including in the gold, coal and chrome sectors — and other parts of the economy, including lorry drivers and municipal workers.
