Impala Platinum (Implats) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) have reached an agreement regarding an illegal strike at Rustenburg mine, the union said on Sunday.

Mineworkers were dissatisfied with their pay and downed tools last month, paralysing operations there.

An agreement to get the mine operational was reached on Friday, said NUM spokesman Lesiba Seshoka.

Implats would re-hire 17,200 workers dismissed for striking, he said.

The company would also tighten security to prevent intimidation of workers returning to work, said Seshoka.

"The NUM strongly condemns those intimidating others and appeals on the law enforcement agencies to arrest those who do so as well as those who roam in the company premises when they are not employed by the company," he said.

The union would discuss certain outstanding issues with Implats at a later date.

These include the treatment of the 5000 rock drill operators believed to have instigated the strike.

Implats spokesman Bob Gilmour was not immediately available for comment.