South African Gold Miners End Strike

Posted August 2nd, 2011 at 11:10 am (UTC-5)
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South African gold miners have ended a five-day strike after reaching a new wage deal with four mining firms.

Unions say their workers will receive raises of between 7.5 and 10 percent under the two-year deal, announced Tuesday.

More than 100,000 miners went on strike last Thursday after negotiations reached a stalemate.

Solidarity, one of the three unions involved in the talks, said the sides will “revisit” the new deal next June if inflation exceeds the wage hikes.

July and August are known as the “strike season” in South Africa, where expiring contracts around the end of the fiscal year June 30 often lead to wage demands and walkouts.

Coal miners ended a week-long strike on Monday.