S African unions 'to widen strike'

S African unions 'to widen strike'
Public workers threaten to cut ties with ruling party and expand strike if demands unmet.

South African labour unions have said that they will cut ties with the ruling party, and widen a national public sector strike, unless their pay demands are met.

There were no signs of a resolution on Friday, nearly two weeks after more than one million public sector workers walked off the job, shutting down many hospitals and schools.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said it filed seven-day strike notices on Thursday so that all its two million members could join the state workers strike, which they said would also target the mining and manufacturing sectors.

The labour unions were key supporters of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and Jacob Zuma, the country's president, helping him win the last election.

"We cannot sustain the status quo. We cannot allow the situation that nobody does nothing about the current situation within the alliance..." Sdumo Dlamini, president of Cosatu, said.

Alliance threatened

The latest comments by union leaders were some of the strongest signals to date that organised labour may be ready to cut, or change, its relationship with the ANC that was forged in the struggle to end apartheid.

The unions have set a deadline of September 2 for the government to provide a 8.6 per cent rise in salaries and a 1,000 rand ($138) monthly housing allowance.

The government is offering a seven per cent pay hike and 630 rand for housing, saying that it cannot afford the workers' demands.

Themba Maseko, the government spokesman, told Al Jazeera that the strike had raised concern and efforts were being made to resolve it.

Government services and the economy have been disrupted by the strikes, but the country's currency has suffered no major impact.

Workers frustrated

Zwelinzima Vavi, Cosatu's general secretary, said that the federation had not wanted a strike and had recommended civil servants accept the government's offer.

"We have to be loyal to our members. If they say this deal is not good enough, we have to march with them," Vavi told reporters.

"They are earning 4100 rand as a minimum wage, the lowest paid. They see a [government] minister issuing a statement about 'We must save the children' when [his] children are in a private school and he is driving a 1.3m rand Mercedes or BMW."

While the strike intensified, Zuma was in China leading a delegation of cabinet ministers and business people searching for business partnerships.

South Africa has been hit hard by the global recession, losing 900,000 jobs last year on top of already high unemployment.

The government has said it wants to devote funds to creating new jobs, not just raising the salaries of those already working.