Johannesburg - Public service trade unions were on Tuesday evening gathering reports on whether their members have accepted or rejected the government's new wage offer.
"We haven't even received any provincial reports. We should have an idea tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon," National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) spokesperson Sizwe Phamla said.
He said he had learned some SA Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu) members had rejected the offer.
"The problem is you can't reject something that hasn't been properly explained to you. We want a middle-ground kind of an arrangement. You can't listen to the news and say that you reject the offer."
The 245 000-strong Nehawu said it was "encouraged" by the new offer of a 7.5% salary increase and R800 monthly housing allowance.
Phamla said the government's new offer also included setting up a housing scheme for its workers. This, he said, was "a resolution that we're willing to consider".
"We'll make that announcement tomorrow. If for example two of the nine provinces reject (the offer), and say seven accept, that means we accept the offer."
Meanwhile Sadtu general secretary Mugwena Maluleke said the union would know the "verdict" by 10:00 on Wednesday.
"The process is still going on, we will know tomorrow," he said, denying Phamla's claim that some of his union's provinces had rejected the offer.
Independent Labour Caucus (ILC) chairperson Chris Klopper said the organisation's leaders were "neutral" about the government's revised offer.
"We'll have a media conference at about this time tomorrow, where we will announce the outcome."
Their members were being sent cellphone messages informing them about the new offer.
It was tabled at talks with unions, represented by the Congress of SA Trade Unions and the ILC, which continued at the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council into the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Public Service and Administration Minister Richard Baloyi's spokesperson Dumisani Nkwamba said a follow-up meeting would be held at the bargaining council on Wednesday "for consideration of the offer".
The unions wanted an 8.6% increase and R1 000 monthly housing allowance, and had rejected the government's previous offer of a seven percent increase and a R700 allowance.
The strike has severely affected hospitals and schools, with several provinces postponing preliminary matric exams.
Many schools had been closed not only because of the absence of teachers, but because of alleged intimidation of non-striking teachers.
The SA National Defence Force has had to help out at 61 state hospitals.
According to media reports several deaths occurred due to the strike, but the national health department has refrained from commenting.