Matric exams will be affected because education administrative staff will join the strike even though teachers will not.

Schools and hospitals will operate normally but disruptions at matric exams and courts are expected during the anticipated national shutdown strike by government employees on Friday.

Trade union, Public Servants Association (PSA) spokesperson Reuben Maleka said no essential services employees, such as police and doctors would take part in the strike.

Over the past two weeks members of Cosatu, Fedusa, Saftu and PSA protested outside National Treasury in the Pretoria CBD. The trade unions representing thousands of government employees gave the government seven days to meet their 10% wage increase demand.

Maleka said there were no negotiations between trade unions and the government at present. The unions want the government to table an offer to the public service co-ordinating bargaining council (PSCBC). He said the unions have rejected the 3% wage increase offer by government.

Maleka said though the home affairs, transport and education departments would be affected by the protest, matric examinations would not be because mainly education administrative staff were expected to join the strike.

Courts are also expected to be affected by the labour strike.

“We demand a real increment of 10% that will assist to retain the buying power of the public servants,” the trade unions’ memorandum read.

“Public service workers share the hardships faced by the working class and the unemployed on a daily basis and are very conscious of rising unemployment, deepening poverty, staggering job losses, world-record inequality, increases in the cost of living and widespread corruption.”

The union also demanded permanent employment of police reservists, community health workers and teacher assistants.

“We demand the insourcing of all outsourced services which in the main are owned by politicians.”

The unions also complained about delays in adoption of the national health insurance policy.

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