the militant Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) came to an end yesterday and striking workers are expected to return to work on Wednesday this week.

Joseph Mathunjwa, the president of AMCU, broke this news to the media after the miners’ mass meeting at the Royal Bafokeng stadium just outside Rustenburg. Mathunjwa said the new wage deal will be signed today.

Over 20,000 AMCU members had given Mathunjwa a directive to agree to take the new wage deal made by the world’s three biggest platinum miners Lonmin, Implats and Amplats.

This prompted Mathunjwa to settle for a R1000 ($94) yearly increase over 36 months for the lowly paid underground workers from July last year.

The striking workers had initially demanded R12 500 ($1,180) basic salary for an underground worker.

In terms of the new deal, workers will be paid a R1000 ($94) back pay from July last year to January 22 this year, meaning that each worker will get paid approximately R2000 ($188,84) a month on their basic salary.

Lonmin, Amplats and Implats had decided to apply it over 36 months instead of five years as earlier reported.

The strike started on January 23 this year, lasting more than 6 months and costing in the industry over $2 billion in lost wages and revenue.