The situation in Rustenburg was calm on Sunday, the day after after a group of people disrupted a Cosatu rally there, police said.

“Everyone went away peacefully after police dispersed the crowd. Since then there have been no reports of any incidents,” said Colonel Emelda Setlhako.

Police were escorting Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) marchers to a rally at the Olympia Park Stadium, in Rustenburg, on Saturday, when there was a confrontation with striking Anglo-American Platinum (Amplats) workers, who were blocking the stadium’s entrance.

The police fired rubber bullets and used stun grenades to disperse the workers, who were wearing black T-shirts, and claimed to be from the Rustenburg branch of the National Strikers’ Committee.

The committee claims to represent striking mineworkers in Gauteng, North West and Limpopo.

The workers said they would not return to work until their demand for a R16,000 salary increase was met.

At the rally, Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi called for a review of all minimum wage agreements and said workers should be paid according to their jobs.

“Rock drill operators must be paid well, 1/8because 3/8 their job is demanding. They must be rewarded.”

In future, Cosatu would not negotiate based on percentages. “We want money, and not percentages,” he said.

Amplats announced on Saturday that it had negotiated a deal with unions and worker representatives to reinstate the 12,000 workers it recently fired for not heeding ultimatums to return to work and attend disciplinary hearings.

They were expected to return to work by Tuesday.

The company said it would pay them a once off “hardship allowance” of R2000 to help with any financial difficulties they might have as a result of the no-work-no-pay principle imposed during their illegal strike, which started on September 12 in demand of a R16,000 monthly salary.

Workers would also be able to apply for loans of up to R2500

each, which would be deducted from their salaries over a six-month period. -Sapa