More public sector unions expected to announce strike action as wage deadlock endures

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Public service unions affiliated with three of the country's largest labour federations are expected to announce strike and protest plans in the deadlocked public wage talks on Thursday.

The unions are affiliated with the ANC-aligned Cosatu, the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), and the Federation of Trade Unions of SA (Fedusa).

These unions combined command majority status of vote weights at the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) and represent more than 800 000 members in the public service.

READ | Knock-knock, Enoch: PSA mulls marches to ministers' homes, intensified public wage strike

The seven unions are the Public Servants Association (PSA), the National Education, Health, and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu), the Police, Prisons and Civil Rights Union (Popcru), the SA Policing Union (Sapu), the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa), the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (Nupsaw) and the Health and Other Services Personnel Trade Union of SA (Hospersa).

The unions are expected to make a joint announcement on Thursday morning at the PSCBC in Pretoria.

The PSA already held a one-day strike last week and announced on Tuesday that it would intensify its strike action. The union said it is considering marches to ministers' homes and a boycott of municipal rates.

Hospersa, Nehawu, Popcru, and Denosa have already received certificates of non-resolution from the PSCBC last month, allowing them to canvas membership for a mandate on whether to embark on industrial action.