Operations at Stillwater Mining have resumed after staff turned up for work yesterday in accordance with an agreement struck earlier this week.

Union members of the Paper, Allied Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International (PACE) began working at the Nye mine and at the Columbus smelter, refinery and warehouse putting an end to the strike that blighted operations last week.

Stillwater Mining vice president John Stark told the Billings Gazette that the miners were keen to work and that relations had thawed.

"They were very friendly, very cordial," Mr Stark said. "People went back to work like they'd never been gone."

Brad Shorey, president of Local 8-0001 of PACE, who was at the Nye mine, agreed that "any animosity because of the strike needs to be set aside, and we need to conduct ourselves in a professional way".

However, with plans for a traditional pension plan still unheeded by Stillwater, Shorey acknowledged that the issue could resurface when the current contract ends in three years time.

"If a pension plan is something the members want put in their benefits, it is something I'll carry," he said.

Up to 900 PACE members went on strike on July 12th after a 70 per cent majority voted in favour of rejecting the initial contract offer.