Amplats to reinstate dismissed workers: NUM

The reinstatement comes only with a R2‚000 "hardship allowance" and does not include a wage increase for now. Workers who did not strike will get a R2‚000 loyalty bonus in addition to their wages.

Amplats had previously said that under no circumstances would it negotiate with illegal strikers.

But‚ its hard line position left it unable to restart production as dismissed workers made it clear they would not tolerate new labour being recruited to the mine. In the six weeks since the action began‚ Amplats lost 138‚000oz in production‚ worth more than R1 billion.

NUM spokesman Lesiba Seshoka said that the company had made a commitment to negotiate a wage adjustment at a later point‚ as part of discussions under the auspices of the Chamber of Mines.

Wage talks would follow the establishment of a centralised bargaining chamber for the platinum sector.

Seshoka said that the agreement included a commitment from workers to report for duty on Tuesday morning.

The monetary offer was dependent on a successful shift 48 hours after reporting for duty.

Anglo Platinum could not be reached for comment.