MARIKANA, South Africa, Sept 19: Lonmin platinum mine workers, in South Africa on Tuesday ended their strike in return for a 22 per cent pay raise, after a nearly six-week standoff that claimed 45 lives.

The industrial action which started on August 10 and spread to other platinum and gold mining companies had sparked social turmoil and fears about the economic impact on Africa’s wealthiest country. Amid the bitter standoff, police opened fire on striking miners, killing 34 on August 16 in the worst such shooting since the end of apartheid.

When news of the company’s pay offer by the London-listed company was announced on Tuesday to workers at a stadium, thousands broke into song and dance, lifting their representatives on their shoulders in celebration. A young man wrote on his palm “mission accomplished” and showed the message to television cameras.

After a round of fresh talks on Tuesday, a negotiator had announced that the workers had settled for a 22 per cent wage rise and a $245 one-off bonus from the owners of the world’s third largest platinum mine.

“The workers are very happy with it, 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,” said Bishop Jo Seoka, the president of the South African Council of Churches, who had brokered the talks.

“The actual increase is about 22 per cent, which is very high,” he said. Details of the full new salaries were yet to be released, but on Monday the workers had agreed for the first time to lower their demand. Seoka said the negotiators would still have to return for a final round of talks “to seal it off”.

More negotiations involving the unions would kick off in October, he said. Gideon Du Plessis, secretary general of the mainly-white union Solidarity, said “the workers don’t have a choice... (but) to accept the final offer.” “They know Lonmin cannot give more, and if they don’t accept, they will loose their jobs.” Not all workers, however, rejoiced at the new pay package.“I am not feeling good because the money is not enough,” said Honesty, 26, who said he would nonetheless report for work on Thursday.

The miner — who was among the 270 survivors arrested after police gunned down the group of striking miners — suggested those who died in the strike would be turning in their graves. “Those people who died, they are not feeling good,” he said.

Lonmin became the epicentre of a wave of unrest to hit the vital mining sector in recent weeks, with tensions forcing several firms to suspend operations in the platinum belt of north-western Rustenburg. Lomnin — which slashed its platinum sales forecasts for this year due to the strike — had warned that an extended stay away by miners would cost some 40,000 jobs.

President Jacob Zuma warned on Monday that the country could ill afford a recession over mine stoppages. Zuma told a conference of the powerful Cosatu labour group that 4.5 billion rand ($548 million) had been lost in gold and platinum production this year, and 118 million rand in the coal sector.

Following a weekend security crackdown in the mining region, tensions eased slightly and closed-down mines reopened on Monday and on Tuesday. Anglo American Platinum, the world’s top platinum producer, resumed operations on Tuesday after it shut down five mines last week over security fears.—AFP