The South African government said on Wednesday that those who are to take part in the strike called by the public servants will not be paid for the days they are not at work.

“It must be emphasized that public servants who are working in essential services are not allowed to participate in any strike action,” said Moses Mushi, spokesperson for the Department of Public Service and Administration.

The Public Service Association, with over 235,000 public servants, announced that they will down tools on Thursday following salary disagreements.

“The government hopes that all in the essential services understand that they cannot go on strike unless there are minimum service level agreements; otherwise, they will risk their jobs. Workers also need to understand that the ‘no work no pay’ principle will be implemented, and all managers have been instructed to do so,” said Mushi.

The government will pay a three-percent increment on Nov. 17, backdated to April 1, 2022, and will also continue paying 1,000 Rands (about 56 U.S. dollars) after tax gratuity monthly until March 31, 2023, according to Mushi.

He also said the government offices will be open, and they will be assisting those requiring services. “There won’t be any blockages to accessing workplaces or public transport. Public servants are expected to be at their workplaces to provide much-needed government services to citizens.”