JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Sibanye-Stillwater said on Thursday it had extended a wage agreement to cover all of its South African gold workforce, and urged striking workers who make up 43 percent of its employees to return to work.

The firm’s shares rose 5 percent after the diversified miner said the strike called by the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) in November was no longer protected and all employees should report for work on Saturday Dec. 15.

Reporting by Emma Rumney; Editing by James Macharia