Cape Town - Tens of thousands gathered in the Cape Town CBD demanding a 12% wage and salary on Friday. The government is offering an increase of 5.6%.
The government's offer would be just 0.1% more than consumer inflation which now stands at 5.5%. Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni also warned earlier this month that CPIX could very well hit 5.9%.
Cosatu's president, Willie Madisha warned that if government did not agree to its demands that "there will be very serious action...militant action".
Unions said that they will be meeting with the government on Monday and Tuesday to negotiate further.
Madisha also said that in the last 12 months maize meal prices have gone up eight times. "How are we going to live with only 6%?" he asked.
Among the marchers were nurses, teachers and off-duty police. About 2 000 marshals and a massive throng of police kept the protest peaceful.
'Give 6% peanuts to the monkeys'
As the protesters made their way towards parliament, shop owners were warned by police to lock their doors and security gates for fear of marchers turning violent as last year's security guard strike did.
Fighting was kept to a bare minimum with scuffles only breaking out over union t-shirts.
Protesters began gathering shortly before 10:00 just outside the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and waited peacefully for union leaders to start the action.
They came adorned in union t-shirts and carrying posters that read: "Give 6% peanuts to the monkeys; My take-home pay doesn't even take me home" amongst others.
Unions said that Geraldine Frasier-Moloketi, minister of public service and administration, had insulted them by saying that they "did not understand government's offer and that they could therefore not negotiate seriously about it".
One nurse said in frustration: "With the 6% offer, (we'll) see a difference of only R200 after tax every month (in our salaries)."
"We don't want to embark on this (protest) action", said the nurse, who wished to remain anonymous, "but this is a matter of principle. Even close to 12% will do."
'We want Geraldine'
Jacob van Heerden of the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa said that qualified nurses are leaving the country because there is no security in the health sector for them.
Meanwhile, one of the protesting teachers said that after tax, most get little more than R6 000 or R7 000. Some teachers at Paarl school, Paulus Joubert Secondary said that with the salaries they earn, they cannot afford to "buy a car, let alone a house".
As the crowd stomped their feet before the heavy black gates of parliament, Willie Madisha stood before them and repeatedly shouted: "Amandla!" and in reply the crowd, hoisted their fists into the air and shouted: "Awethu!"
After 13:00, Gilbert Lawrence, director-general of the provincial government and in representation of Frasier-Moloketi, emerged from behind the locked gates of parliament. As Lawrence braved the crowd, surrounded by a heavy police contingent, the marchers shouted: "We want Geraldine."
Lawrence said that he would hand over their memorandum to the minister.
Unions say that if their demands are not met, public servants will embark on a nationwide strike from 1 June and will continue until such time as it is.
