South African miners agree pay deal The deal that was agreed could potentially end months of unrest, that culminated in 34 strikers being killed at Lonmin's platinum mine in Marikana. About 100,000 workers in all have downed tools across South Africa since August which has led to awkward questions for President Jacob Zuma and the ruling ANC. Many mines across the gold mining belt saw their production halted because of the strikes. After three weeks of negotiations, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the gold industry, which employs around 157,000, announced agreement on wage increases of between 1.5 and 10.8 per cent for different categories of mine workers. It comes on top of a 10 per cent increase agreed in July. At least 12,000 gold and 20,000 platinum miners were still pursuing a wave of unofficial strikes that have cost Africa's largest economy over 10 billion rand (about £708 million) this year, according to the National Treasury. "The worst in the gold sector is over," National Union of Mineworkers spokesman Lesiba Seshoka told AFP. Members have accepted a new pay structure. Frans Baleni, NUM secretary general, said: "Negotiations took almost three weeks and were robust and vigorous at times." "However, the new deal represents a major step forward for the industry as it removes an anomaly and establishes a firm basis from which to negotiate the 2013 agreement with the Chamber," he said. A 22 per cent wage increase was won by the Lonmim platinum miners whose strike left more than 50 people dead. Tensions remain even if many workers have returned to work.