Army deployed in S Africa strike

Schools and hospitals have been closed for a week

South African troops have been deployed outside schools and hospitals, as a strike enters its second week.

Some 2,500 soldiers in bullet-proof vests, with automatic weapons are trying to help stop clashes between strikers and those trying to work.

Police have again fired rubber bullets at strikers, wounding three people.

The unions say they will call a general strike next week, unless the government agrees a 10% pay rise for all public workers. It has offered 6.5%.

Inflation has risen to 7%, so unions say anything less is an effective pay cut.

Most schools and hospitals have been closed, as some 500,000 public workers have been on strike.

"Cosatu [Congress of South African Trade Unions] will not allow a defeat of the public sector strike. The implications of such a defeat to workers as a whole would be devastating," the union federation said.

It said all workers, such as those in the crucial mining and manufacturing sectors, will go on a "solidarity strike" starting on Monday, building up to a "complete strike" next Wednesday.

Mining, especially gold, is one of South Africa's major export earners.

Violence and intimidation

Army medical staff have already been brought in to provide care in some hospitals to try and cover what analysts say is one of the biggest strikes in the country's history.

The military has been helping out in South African hospitals

The BBC's Mpho Lakaje in Johannesburg says the strike has been marked by violence and intimidation with more than 20 arrests in Durban.

Some school principals have received death threats, while the government is threatening to deploy the army.

The government has increased its offer from 6%, while the unions had originally wanted 12%.

But the government offer looks set to be formally rejected later on Friday, our correspondent says.

Striking nurses had been warned they would be fired unless they return to work by Monday.

South Africa has seen many qualified health professionals leaving the country for greener pastures abroad in recent years.

Cosatu is officially a partner in government but it has criticised the ruling African National Congress (ANC) for not doing enough to raise living standards of the poor.

The ANC is due to choose a new leader later in the year to succeed President Thabo Mbeki.