Western Cape Education MEC David Maynier says his department has put contingency plans in place to ensure that a massive strike planned by the Public Servants' Association (PSA) does not affect the matric examinations. 

He assured parents that they had taken every precaution to ensure that the matric exams were not affected by the planned protest actions on Thursday in the province. 

Maynier said that Western Cape Department of Education head Brent Walters had recently met with teachers' unions and a public sector union regarding the issue.

"The teachers' unions assured us they will not be participating in the strike, so our school exam administration should not be affected. We have contingency measures in place in the event that any public sector staff members choose to participate in the strike," he said. 

Maynier urged everyone, including members of the public sector unions, to put the best interests of matrics first.

"We must treat our matrics as VIPs for the remaining few weeks of the exams. The Class of 2022 has already had to overcome two years of disrupted schooling during their Grade 10 and 11 years. And they are now dealing with the challenge of load shedding, which makes an already stressful time even more stressful," he said.

The PSA announced their plans to embark on massive strike action after wage negotiations reached a deadlock last week. 

The government is unilaterally implementing a three percent wage increase, while the PSA is demanding 6.5%.

News24 Business reported on Tuesday that only the SA Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu) had accepted the government's three percent wage offer, while other Cosatu affiliates wanted a 10% increase.

The public service unions are affiliated with Cosatu - namely the National Education, Health, and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu), the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa), and the Police, Prisons and Civil Rights Union (Popcru).