S.Africa council workers' strike enters second day

South African council workers entered a second day of strikes for higher pay on Tuesday in the latest stand-off between President Jacob Zuma and labor unions who helped bring him to power. Tens of thousands of council workers stopped work on Monday over their demands for a 15 percent wage hike. South Africa is suffering its first recession since 1992 which unions say has hit hardest the country's poor. The South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) and Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (IMATU), representing some 150,000 council workers, have rejected an initial offer of an 11.5 percent wage increase. SAMWU general secretary Mthandeki Nhlapo said the union was considering an improved offer and would decide on Wednesday whether to call off the strike. "Tomorrow we are convening our special national executive committee to .... decide on the way forward. In the meantime, aluta continua (the struggle continues)." Annual inflation is running at 8 percent.