STRIKING South African gold miners have signed a pay deal to end months of often violent labour unrest that has cost the industry at least $US1.2 billion ($A1.1 billion), the country's main mining union and mine owners says.
"The worst in the gold sector is over," National Union of Mineworkers spokesman Lesiba Seshoka told AFP on Thursday.
"Members have accepted a new pay structure."
The Chamber of Mines' offer, coupled with a package already on the table, will see miners get a wage increase of between 11 and 20.8 per cent.
The violent strikes halted production at numerous mines across the gold mining belt, triggered by wage increased of up to 22 per cent won by Lonmin platinum miners.
The Lonmin strike left more than 50 people dead, in the worst spasm of violence to hit South Africa since apartheid ended 18 years ago.
Gold mine owners welcomed the deal.
"We're very pleased that they signed and bring all of the uncertainty and turmoil in the market to an end," said Marian van der Walt a spokeswoman for Harmony Gold.
While the platinum and coal sectors are not covered by the deal, and there may still be pockets of resistance in the gold sector, mine owners are starting to count the cost of what may prove to be the worst labour unrest in South Africa since the 1980s.
A top economist at the Chamber of Mines estimated that illegal strikes have cost the industry at least 10 billion rand ($A1.16 billion) already this year.
"This number can be doubled if the lost procurement, wages, capital expenditure, taxes and other contributions that are not happening due to the strikes are included in the calculation," Roger Baxter said.
"Negotiations took almost three weeks and were robust and vigorous at times," NUM secretary general Frans Baleni said.
"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.
Several gold mining firms had resorted to mass dismissals of striking workers in an attempt to force them to return to work.
That gambit appears to be paying off but tensions remain.
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