SAfrica police fire at striking nurses

JOHANNESBURG, Jun 4 (Reuters) South African police today fired rubber bullets to disperse a crowd of nurses taking part in a nationwide strike over pay, wounding several, state radio reported.

Police also arrested 20 nurses in the incident at a hospital in the city of Durban, the radio said. It quoted police as saying the nurses were blocking entrances to the hospital.

Police were not immediately available to comment on the report, but the South African Press Association (SAPA) quoted a police spokesman as saying there were no shootings, only the arrests of 12 striking workers at Durban's Addington Hospital.

Since the start of the strike on Friday, tensions have risen between the government and public workers, increasing fears the mass action will cripple services and hurt South Africa's economy -- the biggest on the continent.

Fikile Slovo Majola, general secretary of the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU), said government threats over the weekend to fire striking nurses would only undermine efforts to reach a resolution.

''The Department of Health's threats to fire nurses is only going to put negotiations in jeopardy,'' he told Reuters.

The strike was organised by the powerful COSATU federation of trade unions, a key force in a political alliance with the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

COSATU's affiliated unions make up about 60 percent of public service employees, including doctors, nurses, police and teachers. So far, the strike has mainly hit the health sector.

Union leaders have said they will not end the mass action until the government agrees to double its pay rise offer to 12 percent.

South Africa's economy is booming but civil servants complain they have not had a pay rise since one that ended a major public service strike in 2004.

President Thabo Mbeki's government fears that significant wage increases could further raise inflation.

Anger boiled over after an official body recently recommended Mbeki receive a 57 percent pay rise.

Unions have accused Mbeki of favouring big business over the poor in his efforts to attract foreign investment.

Negotiations to end the strike and reach an agreement on pay were due to resume today.

REUTERS AE HT1550