* Cheers as Marikana miners accept 22 pct wage hike
* Top platinum firm Amplats resumes Rustenburg operations
* Rand firms on news, spot platinum price falls 2 pct
* Marikana unrest claimed 45 lives, shocked South Africa
By Mish Molakeng
MARIKANA, South Africa, Sept 18 (Reuters) – Striking
platinum miners at Lonmin’s Marikana mine in
South Africa accepted a hefty pay rise offer on Tuesday, ending
six weeks of violent labour unrest that killed 45 people and
rattled Africa’s largest economy.
The strikers, grouped on a bare soccer pitch near the mine,
100 km (60 miles) northwest of Johannesburg, cheered when they
were told that management were offering a 22 percent pay
increase, and said they would return to work on Thursday.
“I am happy – and forward with the struggle,” said one of
the striking miners, Sithembile Sohati.
“It’s a huge achievement. No union has achieved a 22 percent
increase before,” Zolisa Bodlani, a worker representative at
Marikana, told Reuters.
Continued…
