Striking Lonmin workers have a day to return to work, the company's executive vice-president Mark Munroe said on Monday.
"After consultation with various labour representatives today, the company can announce that those illegal strikers who did not return to work this morning will not be dismissed and have been allowed an extra day in light of the current circumstances."
He said the workers had until 7am on Tuesday to return to work or face disciplinary action.
The mine had issued an ultimatum to 3 000 rock drill operators to return to work by Monday.
Munroe said most workers were not on strike, but had been unable to report for work because of the violent nature of the illegal strike.
"Thirty percent of our 28 000 work force returned to work this morning [Monday] and 17 percent of them were rock drill operators," he said.
Trade unions have supported the mine's call that workers return to their posts by Tuesday morning.
"We have agreed with management that there will be no night shift; workers will only work day shift until there is stability," said Eric Gcilitshana, of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM)
He denied that rock drill operators were paid R4 000 a month. "They get paid R5 545 per month excluding bonuses," he said.
Solidarity general secretary Gideon du Plessis said rock drill operators were paid in the range of R10 000 a month including bonuses.
The union said most of the people who participated in the violent strike were workers who had been dismissed from Lonmin and Implats.
Du Plessis appealed to members to return to work by 7am on Tuesday. Uasa also supported the call.
Representative Franz Stehring said the union did not support violence as a measure to resolve disputes.
He called for an investigation into the conduct of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), and said there had been a track record of violence where it claimed to represent workers.
NUM claims to represent 65% of workers in Lonmin against Amcu's 16%.
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