Anglo American Platinum move could end weeks of violent unrest and lost production in gold and platinum mines
Mines in South Africa have agreed to re-instate 12,000 miners which could end a period of industrial unrest and violence.
Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) said they would allow 12,000 miners sacked for an illegal strike to return to work.
Months of strikes have cut production of platinum and gold sectors in the most damaging labour strife since the end of apartheid in 1994 and which threatened to destabilise the ANC government.
"They agreed to reinstate all the dismissed workers on the provision that they return to work by Tuesday," Lesiba Seshoka, spokesman for the powerful National Union of Mineworkers, told Reuters on Saturday.
Seshoka said he expected workers would return to their posts and "that will mean the end of the strike".
Amplats said in a separate statement it had reached the deal with the unions and offered sweeteners such as a one-off hardship payment of 2,000 rand (£144) to facilitate the return. The strike lasted about six weeks and crippled production.
"Employees who do not return to work on Tuesday ... will remain dismissed and/or be subjected to the illegal strike disciplinary action and will not be eligible for any of the benefits mentioned above," it said in a statement.
South African labour law has clear processes for strikes and walkouts. Those that do not go through all the proper bureaucratic hoops are considered illegal, and can result in striking workers being sacked.
Mining firms usually reinstate dismissed workers because it is more expensive to train a new workforce.