The country’s Labour Ministry says the three-week strike by metalworkers, the largest union, could be settled by week’s end.

The National Union of Mineworkers was not the majority syndicate in the five-month outage by 80 000 workers at three pits that produce 80 percent of the world’s platinum.

Impala Platinum, Lonmin and Anglo American Platinum say the strike cut their production by 40 percent and cost them 1.76 billion euros.

Angloplats says it will sell two mines it owns in Rustenburg northwest of Johannesburg and another it owns jointly with Lonmin.

It reported eleven million euros in headline earnings for the first six months of this year, compared with 93.3 million euros in the same period last year.

The NUM head Frans Baleni says selling mines will cost 20 000 jobs and it will try to stop this.

The 220 000-member National Union of Metalworkers and representatives of 12 000 engineering and car making firms met at the weekend to try to end their three-week strike.

The Labour Ministry says discussions went well and they’re confident there will be a settlement by the end of the week.

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The miners, who’ve been out since January, could be back at work by tomorrow (Wednesday).

South Africa’s labour court’s ruled that the union making this announcement is not permitted to extend its industrial action to the gold sector.

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President of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union, Joseph Matunjwa made the much-awaited announcement that his syndicate has dropped its demands blocking signature on a wage agreement reached in principle ten days ago.

Matunjwa received an enthusiastic response from assembled members, representing some 70 000 workers from three of the world’s largest platinum mines, when he asked if he should ink this agreement today.

It binds the union for three years and falls short of the 840 euro monthly wage they were demanding.

Matunjwa describes is a good start in the miners’ battle to end slave wages and poor working conditions.

He hailed as a victory the reinstatement of 236 emergency service workers sacked during the strike.

He maintains that his union has changed the face of the mining industry for all time and that it has achieved in five months what other unions have failed to do in 20 years.

Minerals minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi has welcome the end of the strike.

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A deal ending the five-month platinum miners’ strike in South Africa remains up in the air.

The leading union says it’s accepted the mining houses offer.

But both they and the world’s largest producers of the precious, strategic metal say there will have to be further talks this week.

Mines Minister Nkoako Ramatlhodi is upbeat about a settlement ending the strike driving into recession the country that produces 80 percent of the world’s platinum.

Ramatlhodi admits the devil remains in the detail.

Technical adviser to the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union Brian Ashley says they wrote to the mining houses on Monday accepting their offer.

It will double miners’ wages by 2017 but still falls short of their demand for 800 euros a month.

Ashley says the miners are expected to go back underground by next Monday.

Spokesman for Impala Platinum, Anglo American Platinum and Lonmin Johan Theron says there’s still some work to be done.

The miners want to get their increase within three years. The owners want to stretch it out over five

Meetings scheduled for last weekend to agree the details didn’t happen.

Amcu’s in court seeking to embark on a strike in the gold sector. Its members there are also demanding a minimum monthly wage of 800 euros.

Gold producers say a strike based on such as a demand could devastate the industry.

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