Striking National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and Hulett Aluminium reached a wage agreement on Thursday afternoon. The company said the parties had agreed to an 8,1% wage increase for the highest-paid workers and nine percent for the lowest. Thousands of Numsa members embarked on a strike on Friday after a wage dispute between the parties. Hulett representative Mpume Nyandu said that employees were expected to go back to work on Thursday night. However, Numsa representative Dumisa Ntuli said that although the agreement had been reached the union’s members would first have to be consulted. ”After we have spoken to our members tomorrow (on Friday) will we call off the strike,” he said. – Sapa