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U.S. job growth likely slowed sharply in November as superstorm Sandy disrupted economic activity, making it hard get a clear picture of a labor market that has also been hobbled by fears of government austerity. Nonfarm payrolls are expected to have increased only 93,000 last month, a sharp step-down from October’s 171,000 job gain, according to a Reuters survey of economists. The unemployment rate is seen holding steady at 7.9 percent. That would be the fewest number of jobs in five months, but economists blame the anticipated pull-back on the monster storm, which lashed the densely populated East Coast late [...]

JOHANNESBURG Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) has offered to reinstate 12,000 miners sacked for going on an illegal strike at its South African operations if they return to their posts by Tuesday. The company also said in a statement released in Saturday it has offered a one-off hardship allowance of 2,000 rand ($ 230) as an incentive to return. ($ 1 = 8.6517 South African rand) (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Alison Williams)

A South African miners’ rep says workers have accepted a deal to end their strikeNational Union of Mineworkers rep says monthly salaries will nearly double under the dealA spokeswoman for the Lonmin platinum mining company says reports of a deal are prematureJohannesburg — The strike at the South African platinum mine where 34 miners were killed in a clash last month with police is ending, a union representative said Tuesday.Zolisa Bodlani, one of the striking miners’ representatives, told CNN that the National Union of Mineworkers has accepted the Lonmin mining company’s offer of 9,000 rand (about $ 1,084) a month [...]

NEW: Drill operator says he and his coworkers should honor dead colleagues, stay on strikeMine company says workers have until Monday to come back44 people were killed this week in violence at the mine — 34 by police on ThursdayPolice say they fired at the striking workers in self-defenseRustenburg, South Africa — Facing an ultimatum to return to the mines Monday, a South African drill operator told CNN he and his co-workers should honor their slain colleagues and hold out for a pay increase.Cingisile Makhaba, who along with 3,000 other drillers and assistant drillers has been on strike since August [...]

Striking South African miners armed with homemade spears and pangas chant slogans near Marikana platinum mine in Rustenburg, South Africa, on Thursday, August 16. Rising tensions at the mine exploded Thursday in grisly violence as police opened fire on striking miners. Striking workers are monitered by police during a sit-in on a hill as they demad a wage increase. A police vehicle takes position as miners sit on the hill. Armed workers chant slogans outside the mine. Workers sit together on strike. A policeman fires at the participants of the protest. Policemen fire at the striking miners. Gunfire erupts at S. African mine strike Bitter mining feud erupts in violence