The union is due to meet with ministers on Tuesday evening to discuss its demands delivered to President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Nehawu has not announced a date for its threatened nationwide strike, saying it is allowing for more time for their leaders to meet and negotiate with the government.

The union has complained of a lack of adequate protective equipment for its members during the COVID-19 pandemic and is also demanding the government to honour its commitment to increase the salaries of public service workers.

Nehawu stated they will continue with lunch-time pickets for the moment to protest current conditions as well as some more political measures.

Nehawu general-secretary Zola Saphetha, said one of the ANC's downfalls is to ignore and disregard workers of this country.

"As this union, it will not be easy to convince our members again to support. As we know, 2021 is a year of local government [elections].

"We will not go to bleeding people, people who are dying of hunger, because they are not given their money, and say, 'vote for the people who are always oppressing you'.

"People who are relegating from what we have agreed upon. People who have refused to give you what is due to you," Saphetha said.

"We are going formally to them, to the ANC, just to raise that because it's the ANC that deploys in this government," Saphetha said.

eNCA