More than 1 million South Africa state workers strike

More than one million South African state workers went on strike for more pay on Wednesday, threatening a prolonged action they say will bring the government in Africa's largest economy to a halt. The strike, punctuated by reported scuffles at hospitals and schools, is not immediately expected to have a major economic impact but a protracted work stoppage could hurt commerce at home and trade abroad. "We have nothing to lose but the chains that bind us," said Norman Mampane, national spokesman for the POPCRU police and prison guards' union, which is one of the groups in the labor coalition representing about 1.3 million state workers. The labor action is expected to escalate on Thursday as more unions join the work stoppage with protests including teachers trying to block one of the main highways into Johannesburg and hospital employees staging pickets outside emergency rooms. Local media reported some pushing and shoving between striking workers and managers at a few hospitals and schools during Wednesday's action.