The National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) and the Public Servants Association (PSA) are demanding an 11% wage increase.

SARS is offering between 6% and 7%.

Nehawu and the PSA started the current round of negotiations with SARS in November 2018.

The current three-year wage agreement that SARS had with organised labour expires on March 31.

PSA Deputy General Manager Tahir Moepa says: “Unfortunately the strike is going ahead on Thursday and it is something that we really tried our level best to avoid. We don’t believe the country can afford to have SARS embarking on strike action. When we meet, they reduce the gains over the years and they say Treasury has cut down their grants and they can’t afford to pay their employees’ salaries as we are demanding. Worse off they are cutting benefits that are already there.”

SABC News