Miners celebrate 22% pay rise and will return to work on Thursday

Fin24 reports that striking miners at Lonmin in the North West have accepted a 22% pay rise and will return to work on Thursday, worker leader Zolisa Bodlani said.

Reporting back to the workers at the platinum mine in Marikana on Tuesday, Bodlani said the increase would be applied across the board. Rock drill operators would now get R11 078 a month before deductions, production team leaders R13 022, and operators R9 883. Workers would further receive a once-off bonus of R2 000.

President of the SA Council of Churches, Bishop Jo Seoka, who was also part of the workers' negotiations, said the offer was closer to the R12 500 the workers had been demanding since they went on strike on 10 August. "We are happy with the latest offer; it is better than what the workers got before they went on strike," Seoka said. Workers were happy with the latest offer. They whistled and jumped for joy, telling the negotiators to sign the deal.

Fin24 reports further that platinum producer Lonmin opened more than 9% higher in Johannesburg after striking miners at its Marikana mine accepted pay rise offer of up to 22%, ending a six-week strike. By 7:05 GMT, Lonmin's shares were up 9.03% at R94.32, compared with a 0.48% rise in the All Share [JSE:J203] index, which hit a new high. The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) confirmed on Tuesday the end of the Lonmin Marikana strike.

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