South Africa could be shut down next month if the Congress of South African Trade Union Cosatu's plan to go ahead with a national strike is a success.  

The trade union wants a number of demands as far the public sector is concerned and it is reported that talks between the government and public sector unions on salary increases have hit a deadlock.  Various media houses have reported that a national strike is on the horizon following a failure to reach a consensus in the negotiations.  

Should the government fail to provide these demands, the union has clearly stated it will declare a formal dispute and if that move does not yield the desired results, then a strike action will be taken.  

Cosatu's threat follows the SAA Pilots’ Association (SAAPA) which said in early April that it would continue strike action against the national embattled and cash-strapped airline.  

The publication indicated that SAAPA represents 89% of SAA's pilots and its strike prevents these members from being used by SAA.  

Moreover, in a separate issue, the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union and the United National Transport Union are also declaring a wage dispute with another parastatal, Transnet.