800 000 civil servants to take part in SA strike

PRETORIA – An estimated 800 000 public servants are expected to take to the country’s streets today in protest against their wage offer by government, unions said yesterday.

“In the 1999 protest action we had 400 000 people who joined in the marches and we believe we will pass that figure on Thursday,” said Anton Louwrens, general manager of the Public Servant’s Association (PSA), in Pretoria. The unions have released the details of marches around the country.In the Western Cape the march will start at Cape Technikon at 10am, and proceed Parliament.Protest action will also be held in Oudtshoorn, Vredendal and Vredenberg.The main march in the Northern Cape will be in Kimberley.Demonstrators will gather at the Chemo Hotel at 8am, and march to the Old Legislature.A march is also expected to be held in Colesburg.Protest action in the Eastern Cape will be in Bisho, but details have not yet been finalised.KwaZulu-Natal will see protesters take to the streets at 9am.In Durban they will march from Curries Fountain to City Hall.Protest action was also expected in Port Shepstone, Ladysmith, Vryheid and Empangeni.In Mpumalanga marchers will walk from the Lowveld Show Grounds in Nelspruit to the premier’s office at 11am.In the North West protesters will walk from the Montshiwa Stadium in Mafikeng to the legislature at 10am.In Limpopo protest action was expected to start at 10am with public servants walking from the Mimosa Hotel in Polokwane to the premier’s office.Other venues were likely to be added, the unions said.Action in the Free State was expected to kick off at 10.30am with protesters meeting at Paxnova in Bloemfontein and marching to the premier’s office.In Gauteng, the march will start at 10am in Pretoria with protesters gathering in Church Square and walking to the National Treasury and the Union Buildings.Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) spokesman Patrick Craven said the Pretoria protest was expected to be the biggest one.Tshwane metro police spokeswoman Lune van Heerden said no metro police officers would be on strike today and all would be deployed to monitor proceedings.”Unions will start gathering from 9.30am at Church Square.Marching will commence at 10am, via Paul Kruger and then into Vermeulen Street,” she said.She said marchers were expected to handed over a memorandum to Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, before moving to the Union Buildings at 11am.”All activities should be concluded by 2.30pm,” she said.Van Heerden said 50,000 people were expected.She said two lanes would be closed in Hamilton Street to provide parking for the 80 busses being used to transport the protesters.”Vermeulen Street and applicable intersections will be partially closed during the march as it progresses,” she said.-Nampa-SapaThe unions have released the details of marches around the country.In the Western Cape the march will start at Cape Technikon at 10am, and proceed Parliament.Protest action will also be held in Oudtshoorn, Vredendal and Vredenberg.The main march in the Northern Cape will be in Kimberley.Demonstrators will gather at the Chemo Hotel at 8am, and march to the Old Legislature.A march is also expected to be held in Colesburg.Protest action in the Eastern Cape will be in Bisho, but details have not yet been finalised.KwaZulu-Natal will see protesters take to the streets at 9am.In Durban they will march from Curries Fountain to City Hall.Protest action was also expected in Port Shepstone, Ladysmith, Vryheid and Empangeni.In Mpumalanga marchers will walk from the Lowveld Show Grounds in Nelspruit to the premier’s office at 11am.In the North West protesters will walk from the Montshiwa Stadium in Mafikeng to the legislature at 10am.In Limpopo protest action was expected to start at 10am with public servants walking from the Mimosa Hotel in Polokwane to the premier’s office.Other venues were likely to be added, the unions said.Action in the Free State was expected to kick off at 10.30am with protesters meeting at Paxnova in Bloemfontein and marching to the premier’s office.In Gauteng, the march will start at 10am in Pretoria with protesters gathering in Church Square and walking to the National Treasury and the Union Buildings.Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) spokesman Patrick Craven said the Pretoria protest was expected to be the biggest one.Tshwane metro police spokeswoman Lune van Heerden said no metro police officers would be on strike today and all would be deployed to monitor proceedings.”Unions will start gathering from 9.30am at Church Square.Marching will commence at 10am, via Paul Kruger and then into Vermeulen Street,” she said.She said marchers were expected to handed over a memorandum to Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, before moving to the Union Buildings at 11am.”All activities should be concluded by 2.30pm,” she said.Van Heerden said 50,000 people were expected.She said two lanes would be closed in Hamilton Street to provide parking for the 80 busses being used to transport the protesters.”Vermeulen Street and applicable intersections will be partially closed during the march as it progresses,” she said.-Nampa-Sapa