JOHANNESBURG, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) requested to meet South African President Cyril Ramaphosa over strikes taking place in the country's North West province.
At a press briefing in Johannesburg on Tuesday, Nehawu general secretary Zola Saphetha said they had written to the President on Tuesday morning and requested an urgent meeting to resolve the impasse.
The civil servants under Nehawu on February 19 embarked on an industrial action over salary disagreements and other grievances. Ramaphosa last Friday visited the province and consulted with the government officials and members of the African National Congress, the ruling party.
Nehawu is accusing the provincial government of North West of corruption and poor service delivery. Saphetha said they also want the North West premier Supra Mahumapelo to resign, threatening that they will escalate the strike if their grievances are not met.
"The national union vows to intensify the current ongoing strike action in North West government because of the intransigence and heightened levels of arrogance displayed by the provincial government," Saphetha said.
He warned that if the deadlock is not broken by May 18, other civil servants under Nehawu in the whole country would join the strike in solidarity with those in North West.
Nehawu is demanding that some contracts which they deem were corruptly signed be cancelled. They are also demanding a salary increase for community health workers.
The government has deployed the army health personnel in the North West province to assist in the health centers, a move dismissed by Saphetha as an insult to the "collective bargaining".
The community in the North West joined the Nehawu strike last Wednesday but ended on Friday. There has been some looting of shops and destruction of public infrastructure in the area.