Authorities says Botswana public workers have ended their 8-week strike and will be back on the job as early as Monday.

The French Press Agency quotes a union spokesman as saying 90,000 workers have agreed to accept the government's 3-percent wage increase, although it is far less than the 16-percent pay hike they were seeking.

The union also wanted to about 3,000 workers to be reinstated, although they ignored a government mandate to report to work because they were classified essential workers.

The government has only agreed to let the those workers reapply for their jobs.

Botswana, a nation of 1.9 million, saw its economy shrink by 4.9 percent in 2009. But 7.2-percent growth was recorded in 2010.

Workers complain salaries have not kept up with inflation.

Schools and most public offices had been reduced to skeleton staffs since the strike began in April.