South African Miners End Strike

Of the workers, who returned to their posts the same evening, those with the lowest pay structures will receive wage increases of up to R1,000/month ($75/month) over the initial year and another increase of 7.5% the following year. Higher earners will see raises of between 5% and 7.5% over both years, the Reuters report said. Initially, miners were demanding a R3,000 per month wage hike. Affected companies include Anglo Coal, Glencore, Exxaro Coal, Kangra, Delmas Coal and Msobo. These operations are spread across the Highveld region, home to most of South Africa’s coalfields. Prolonged strikes are not uncommon in South Africa — up to almost half a year in the case of the platinum industry a couple of years back.