South African gold miners have ended their strike after signing a pay deal, which has arranged for increase in their salaries.

"Members have accepted a new pay structure,” South Africa’s National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said in a statement on Thursday, AFP reported.

The Chamber of Mines confirmed that the miners had accepted its offer of cumulative wage increases of 11 percent to 20.8 percent.

NUM Secretary-General Frans Baleni described the deal as a major step forward for the country’s industry.

"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 South Africa’s Chamber of Mines," Baleni said.

Tens of thousands of goldmine workers went on strike more than a month ago in the South African mines mostly located near the commercial hub of Johannesburg.


In August, clashes between striking miners and the police left 45 miners dead at the Lonmin platinum mine in the country’s North West province.

The industrial actions have damaged South Africa's reputation as an investment destination.