Workers at Gold Fields’ KDC East mine have returned to work, the company announces, bringing all of the company’s mines back into full operation.

The gold producer confirmed that production has restarted following the 23 day strike at its KDC East mine, which was the last of the company’s operations to join in the string of wildcat strikes occurring across the South African mining sector.

The move comes after Gold Fields reinstated the majority of striking workers, who were earlier this month dismissed as a result of protracted illegal striking causing stoppages to output.

Having started the strike on October 14^th, 8,100 Gold Fields workers – of a total labour force of 12,500 employed at the KDC East operation – were fired on October 23^rd, as negotiations between the company and work force representatives were fruitless.

However, the next day on October 24^th, 7,000 of the terminated workers relented and filed appeals against the dismissals.  Gold Fields soon reinstated the majority of the dismissed workers in a bid to prompt a quick resuming of production.

The company – which is Africa’s fourth largest gold producer – today disclosed that a deal was reached with representatives of the workers from the National Union of Mineworkers, achieving the return to duties.

Gold Fields has seen wide-spread strikes across all three of its South African operations over the past months.  Workers at its Beatrix and KDC West mines downed tools on September 9^th, launching an unprotected strike action that would last over a month causing the company significant losses as operations were halted across the country.

6,200 workers at shafts 1,2 and 3 of the Beatrix site resumed production on October 17^th, while a further 2,800 workers at shaft 4 joined their colleagues at work a day later achieving a return to full output at the Beatrix site.

Meanwhile 11,000 workers at KDC West also returned to work on October 18^th in accordance with a deadline set out in an ultimatum by the company, while 1,500 striking workers failed to report for duties and were deemed to have terminated employment.

Today’s announcement brings to a close the stoppages caused by strikes at Gold Fields’ operations, and sees the gold producer return to full capacity.