SAfrica public servants launch country-wide strike

JOHANNESBURG, June 1 (Reuters) South African civil servants launched a countrywide strike today, which union leaders declared a success but early participation appeared patchy.

The powerful COSATU labour federation had called on 700,000 public workers to heed the call to join the strike, but some teachers and nurses showed up for work.

''Reports so far indicate a very, very good turnout,'' said COSATU spokesman Patrick Craven.

COSATU, which represents about 60 per cent of the nation's nearly one million public servants, had aimed to shut down most public services in a wage dispute with government.

Essential workers such as firemen, police officers and doctors were exempt from the strike call and a court order banned immigration officers from joining the action.

Early morning pickets formed outside public hospitals, such as Johannesburg General and Cape Town's Groote Schuur.

''Today is the beginning of the strike. Until they reach an agreement, the hospital is going to run on half-staff,'' said union shop steward Danny Losaba at Johannesburg General.

Around half of the 3,000 union members on staff remained on the job to cover essential services while half were on strike, he said.

ANGER AT POLITICIANS ''Fifty-seven percent for fat cats and 6 per cent for poor hard workers. Shame on you,'' one placard brandished by a picketer at the Johannesburg hospital said.

Labour anger was stoked recently by an official body's recommendation that President Thabo Mbeki receive a 57 per cent pay rise. Unions have demanded a 12 per cent increase, while the government has proposed 6 per cent.

At Groote Schuur, picketers appeared to mainly be from the cleaning staff, with many nurses showing up for duty, the South African Press Association said.

''They live in luxury, we still stay in poverty,'' cleaner Flora Simakuhle said, referring to politicians. Simakuhle said she earned 2,400 rand (335.1 dollars) per month.

Schools were open as usual in the Table View area of Cape Town as teachers showed up for work, SAPA said.

''Operations at the three main international airports are running smoothly despite the countrywide public sector strike,''Airports Company South Africa said in a statement.

Some immigration officers were not aware of a court order banning them striking and failed to report for duty, but no major delays were reported, it added.

Mass marches were scheduled for later in the day.

The government, seeking to keep a lid on inflation, boosted its offer on Wednesday to a 6.5 per cent to 9.0 per cent increase, but talks have been acrimonious.

Public Services and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi told parliament on Wednesday both sides had agreed on a working document that would serve as the basis for a final deal, but unions rejected the new offer.

The wage demands and threats of a massive strike are a worry to South Africa's economic planners, who on Wednesday saw inflation surge through the central bank's 3 percent to 6 per cent target band for the first time in almost four years.

Union leaders have pressed their demands, accusing Mbeki and other senior government officials of ignoring the plight of workers and the poor while catering to the interests of foreign investors and the business community.

REUTERS SBC ND1416