Labour seeks show of force in S.Africa strike

JOHANNESBURG, June 13 (Reuters) South Africa's civil service strike broadened today as other union workers walked out, piling more pressure on the government in a dispute stoking political tensions in Africa's largest economy.

Union leaders have vowed to shut the country down in sympathy with civil servants, whose two-week old strike has already caused chaos in hospitals, schools and public offices around the country.

''My heart bleeds over what is going to happen... government must come in and resolve this problem,'' Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) President Willie Madisha told reporters.

Early reports indicated a moderate turn-out for the sympathy strike but union leaders said it would intensify during the day.

Political analysts say the public service strike, which began on June 1, has turned into a demonstration of labour power as the ruling African National Congress (ANC) prepares for a key leadership congress later this year.

Durban, South Africa's major port, was all but shut down as busses and taxis stopped operating but transport was still normal in Johannesburg, the country's economic heart, and a number of other cities.

Union leaders say tens of thousands of sympathy strikers will march in dozens of cities today, spurring government warnings that police and army units were ready to respond to any violence or intimidation by striking workers.

''We are going to continue to deploy members of the South African Police Service, who will be assisted by units of the South African National Defense Force... to deal with protection of all workers who want to go to work,'' Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula said.

Public service unions are demanding a 10 percent wage hike while President Thabo Mbeki's government has countered with a 6.5 per cent increase, although it has suggested it may go as high as 7.25 per cent.

Workers in essential services such as the police, healthcare and emergency services personnel are barred by law from joining the strike.

Some COSATU unions, including the powerful National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), have said they will not join the boycott because they have not had enough time to inform their members as required by law.

But many other union groups said they were ready to turn out to support the civil servants, whose job boycott has already forced the government to call in army medics to help staff public hospitals.

Unions have been pushing for a turn to the left when a new president takes office in 2009 -- reflecting criticism that Mbeki's market-friendly policies have not done enough to help the impoverished black majority.

''This is the one strike aimed at Mbeki and his supporters,'' Star newspaper commentator Jovial Rantao said today.

''Once the strike is over, the unions would have demonstrated that they can, if they want to, bring the government and indeed the rest of the country to its knees.'' Reuters PJ RS1249