The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) says nearly 73,000 gas station attendants and car repair workers are poised to stage walkouts for higher salaries.

In a statement released on Sunday, Numsa said the strike, which is expected to harshly affect transportation, will begin from Monday.


Numsa General Secretary Irvin Jim said in the statement “We want to settle on double digits. We want basically to improve the conditions of workers.”


According to the union, filling station attendants earn less than two US dollars an hour.

Last month, South African Transport and Allied Workers' Union spokesman Vincent Masoga issued a statement saying 1,300 aircraft maintenance technicians have gone on strike to demand a 12 percent wage increase.

Meanwhile, South Africa's mining sector has been paralyzed by a series of wildcat strikes over miners' low pay since August, 2012. Dozens of people have so far been killed in the strike-related violence.

In February, South African security guards shot dead mineworkers outside Amplats Siphumelele mine in the northwestern city of Rustenburg following a clash between rival union factions.

In June, South African President Jacob Zuma called for dialogue among all stakeholders in the mining sector, saying, “All stakeholders, government, management in the mining sector, trade union movement in particular, should talk and find a way to deal with this matter.”

The South African president went on to say that the stakeholders have the capacity to discuss and agree about the problems, including strikes and deadly clashes faced by the mining industry.