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All Lonmin miners back at work

Johannesburg - Miners returned to work on Wednesday at the world's third largest platinum producer Lonmin's Marikana mine in Rustenburg, ending a one-day illegal stoppage, a trade unionist said.

"The guys have gone back to work," said Gideon du Plessis, deputy general secretary of trade union Solidarity.

Solidarity represents skilled workers and was not part of the strike that coincided with a site visit by journalists.

Independent confirmation could not immediately be made.

Thousands of workers went on a wildcat strike at the mine on Tuesday, embarrassing Lonmin as it hosted a media tour in a bid to show it had recovered from months of deadly labour unrest.

Disruptions at Marikana are particularly closely-watched as it was the site where 34 striking miners were shot dead by police last August.

Workers at two of the four shafts involved in the stoppage had already returned on Tuesday.

The strike was led by members of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), who were demanding the closure of the offices of the rival National Union of Mineworkers on the grounds that it is no longer the largest body representing workers there.

The turf war between Amcu and NUM, which is a powerful political ally of the ANC, was at the heart of much of the unrest that hit the platinum and gold mining sectors in South Africa last year, triggering labour violence that killed over 50 people.  

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