Commenting on the agreement reached, Dr. Frans Barker, who negotiates for the coal mining companies, said he was pleased with the outcome of the negotiations, and both employers and unions had approached the negotiations in a constructive manner. He further commended the union leadership on their professional approach to the negotiations and noted that, “The signing of the 2009 coal wage agreement is an historic occasion as this is the first time that Chamber level wage negotiations have been settled without referral to the CCMA.”