“We are signing the agreement. That means the strike has come to an end officially,” Amcu leader Joseph Mathunjwa, told a mass rally at Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg.
This means AMCU has accepted the wage offered by Lonmin, Implats and Amplats.
According to Mathunjwa, the miners will report for duty on Wednesday.
Mathunjwa praised miners for not giving up during the protracted strike.
“Platinum will never be the same again… What other unions could not do in more than 20 years, you could do in five months,” he said.
Mathunjwa read out the details of the deal for different salary bands at Lonmin, Implats and Amplats, which included a R1 000 per month salary increase for lower earners.
The deal would be back-dated to last July at Implats and Amplats but the back pay would end on January 22, when the strike started. These meant miners would not be paid for the months they were on strike.
At Lonmin the deal would be back-dated to last October until January 22.
However, economic analysts are not overjoyed with Mathunjwa’s statements that ‘this is a victory’.
Some believe the end of the strike means job losses are imminent within the mining sector.
“Look, we’re happy one of the longest strikes has ended but also concerned about the job losses that might be on the cards.
What will he (Mathunjwa) say when the miners face him demanding their jobs?” asked an anonymous well known analysts known to Sowetolife Mag Online.
According to minister of Mineral Resources Adv Ngoako Ramatlhodi, all parties that took part in the talks should be applauded.
“As soon as I was appointed I took the bull by its horns and engaged all parties to resolves the matter as speedily as possible, and we’re happy with the outcome.”
The strike also had an effect on the economy of Rustenburg and its people; thus resulting in threats and deaths, shop closures, selling of properties and of course thriving prostitution to make ends meet.
