Rustenburg (South Africa): A five-month strike against the world's biggest platinum producers is over, union leaders said today, ending a stoppage that has battered South Africa's economy.
Exactly five months to the day after the strike began, AMCU leader Joseph Mathunjwa told a cheering mass rally: "Tomorrow we are signing the agreement, which will mean that the strike is officially over."
"This means workers will report back to work on Wednesday," he said.
Mathunjwa had put the platinum producers' latest proposals to the rally of some 30,000 miners, saying: "By agreeing to the wage proposal you are giving us power to go and sign."
The workers, who have been without wages for five months, shouted "sign, sign, sign".
The jubilant members of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) had packed a stadium near the northwestern town of Rustenburg, apparently eager to see an end to the stoppage.
"This is victory for our colleagues who lost their lives in 2012," said mineworker Chris Pokane, referring to the killing of 34 striking miners by police at a Marikana mine during a wildcat strike.
"I'm happy, it's good news for everybody. Now we are ready to return to work to make money for our companies and our families."
Fellow miner Benjamin Sotu also felt the union had won, although many analysts say the wage increase will not recover the income lost during the strike.
"We stood our ground and it paid off. We never believed it when companies said they had no money... Where has the money come from now?
"Mineworkers in this country are exploited, but we managed to make ourselves heard," he said.
The stadium erupted into singing and jubilation as the meeting broke up, with passing cars signalling their support with blaring hooters.
The union had a week ago agreed in principle with the world's top platinum miners -- Anglo American Platinum, Impala Platinum and Lonmin -- to call off the work stoppage.
