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Johannesburg - The government was on Wednesday considering its response to an ultimatum set by the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) which had threatened a solidarity strike with public service unions.
"The announcement (by Cosatu) was made last night (Tuesday), we will react later," said government spokesperson Themba Maseko on Wednesday morning.
He said Public Service and Administration Minister Richard Baloyi would have to be consulted first before a statement was made.
Cosatu threatened a total shutdown of the economy with a secondary strike next Thursday if the government failed to make a better wage offer to public servants.
"We call on all workers to intensify their action. Every Cosatu affiliated union must on August 26 submit (a seven-day) notice to their employers to embark on a secondary strike," general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said in Johannesburg.
"So by next Thursday, if the current strike is not resolved, the entire economy of South Africa will be shut down."
Until Monday, the government said it was offering a seven percent increase, but then Maseko told reporters this week that the offer was in "real terms" actually 8.5% - a mere tenth of a percent short of what unions wanted.
This was because the increase offer was bolstered by a 1.5% pay progression.
However, unions said the pay progression was part of an old agreement about performance appraisals signed in 2003.
Unions were demanding an 8.6% increase.