Union Nears Agreement That Could End South African Mine Strike

FILE - Miners on strike chant slogans as they march in Nkaneng township outside the Lonmin mine in Rustenburg

The head of South Africa's Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) said the group has agreed, in principal, to accept a new wage offer that could end a strike that has crippled the industry for months.

AMCU president Joseph Mathunjwa said Friday that the union had agreed to a deal with three major platinum producers.

However, the SAPA news agency reported, Mathunjwa added that there were still some issues that required consultation.

On Thursday, leaders of the Lonmin, Anglo-American Platinum and Impala Platinum companies proposed a plan that included a 20-percent wage increase for workers.

If accepted, the deal would end a five-month strike affecting about 70,000 workers.

The three mines normally account for about 40-percent of the global platinum output.