Some 170,000 teachers in South Africa have begun industrial action in protest against government plans for widespread redundancies and reform of the country's education system.

The teachers have started a go-slow, and have threatened to call an indefinite strike within days if the government does not abandon its proposals.

The BBC correspondent in Johannesburg says that under the proposed reforms, thousands of teachers could lose their jobs, and class sizes will increase.

Representatives of the teachers have been meeting government officials in an effort to resolve the dispute, but there is no indication of any breakthrough.