Johannesburg - Striking employees have returned to work at
two AngloGold Ashanti [JSE:ANG] mines and a shift has started at another where
a final ultimatum had been issued, the company said on Tuesday.
"Where we are now is that workers at two of our Vaal
River mines returned to work yesterday (Monday) and a first shift at Moab
Khotsong is underground now," said spokesperson Alan Fine.
The Vaal River mines are Kopanong and Great Noligwe.
Striking workers had until noon on Wednesday to return to
work or risk being dismissed. Miners who failed to return to work would be
issued dismissal letters and would be allowed to appeal.
Those who returned to work would receive the improved wage
offer that was communicated to all employees by AngloGold Ashanti and
separately by elected union representatives.
AngloGold Ashanti miners have been on strike since September
for a monthly salary of R16 000.
AngloGold Ashanti lost around 32,000 ounces of production a
week during the strike.
On Friday general secretary of the Congress of SA Trade
Unions (Cosatu) Zwelinzima Vavi was among a group of people who had stones
thrown at them by some protesting miners at Moab Khutsong.
A police spokesperson was not immediately available to say
whether there had been arrests made in connection with this.
Cosatu was part of a delegation that was trying to convince
striking miners to go back to work.