Public service unions affiliated to the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) on Wednesday resolved to go on strike over wages.

"The unions met today (Wednesday)... we have now come to a firm conclusion to go on strike," Fikile Majola, general secretary of the National Education, Health, and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) told a media briefing in Johannesburg.

"We will serve government with a notice to strike today."

The unions, representing 56 percent of the 1.3 million public sector employees, included Nehawu, the SA Democratic Teachers' Union, the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA, the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union, the SA National Defence Union, the SA Medical Association, the SA State and Allied Workers Union and the Public and Allied Workers Union of SA.

As part of the preparations, the unions would start a build-up programme of pickets, marches and demonstrations.

Two major marches would be held in Pretoria and Cape Town on August 10, said Majola.

"We will announce the date of the big national strike before the two marches on 10 August."

The unions rejected the state's offer of a 6.5 percent wage increase, demanding 8.6 percent and a R1000 housing subsidy.