South African strike suspended for 3 weeks

South African public-sector unions announced a return to work Monday after an acrimonious three-week strike marked by violence against several nurses who continued to work.

Leaders of the 19 unions said they were suspending the strike while they seek to explain the current government offer to their deeply divided 1.3 million members. Some unions last week rejected the offer of a 7.5% pay increase — about double the rate of inflation — and a $108 monthly housing allowance for all workers. But other unions accepted it.

The government has said it can’t afford to increase its offer and would have to borrow to pay for a 7.5% hike, meaning the nation’s 6.2% deficit might rise. Unions were demanding an 8.5% raise and a $136 housing allowance. The government’s current budget had projected a public-sector raise of only about 5%.

Analysts say public sentiment was against the strike because of the level of violence and intimidation against nurses, teachers and even students who opposed the walkout. The strike closed schools, delaying high school final exams in some areas. Hospitals and clinics were severely affected, with reports that some premature babies died.

In the latest violence, a nurse suffered burns on her hands after her house was fire-bombed early Monday in Soweto. On Friday night, a nurse reporting for work allegedly was beaten by strikers, receiving severe head and neck injuries. Another nurse was stabbed Thursday. Earlier, a nurse was held captive for several hours.

Union leaders said Monday that the strike was suspended for 21 days to enable further negotiations and allow members to further consider the government offer.

“Labor has decided to suspend the strike, and this does not mean that we have accepted the state offer,” a joint union statement said.

The strike had spread to the private sector. Workers in at least two mines went on strike recently, demanding 15% wage increases and rejecting employers’ offer of an 8% raise.

Members of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, including auto industry workers, are on strike demanding a 15% increase.

The public-sector strike has frayed relations between the ruling party and unions and has eroded support for South African President Jacob Zuma, who appeared to satisfy no one with his handling of the issue. Critics accused him of weakness when he pressured government ministers to make a deal with labor. But most striking workers weren’t appeased by the government offer.

Unions are further angered over perceptions that Zuma’s family is enriching itself through business deals while the president fails to listen to workers’ demands.

Zuma faces an important policy meeting of his ruling African National Congress this month, with analysts predicting that a decline in support for him could eventually dash his chances of a second presidential term.

robyn.dixon@latimes.com