South African Miners Settle Strike

Posted September 18th, 2012 at 8:15 pm (UTC-5)
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The union representing South African platinum mine workers has signed a deal with mine owners to end a violent five-week strike that left 45 miners dead.

Miners gathered in a stadium cheered and danced when they got the news of the deal late Tuesday. They plan to be back on the job Thursday.

Workers in the Lonmin platinum mine will get a 22 percent pay raise, less than what they originally demanded, along with a one-time cash payment of $250 to compensate for the time they were off the job.

Police fired on strikers outside the mine on August 16. Police say they were under attack, but the violence sent the country into shock.

In the past five weeks, the original strike at the Lonmin mine spread to other platinum mines and a gold and chrome mine. Mining is South Africa's biggest industry and President Jacob Zuma says the strikes cost the country hundreds of millions of dollars.