Johannesburg is bracing itself for a potentially crippling strike later this week. City officials have confirmed they are considering going to court to prevent the industrial action.

The South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) says it will mobilise its members to strike on Thursday in solidarity with Metrobus drivers.

Bus drivers have been on strike for five weeks. They want to be paid according to their expertise and the number of years they have worked.

Metrobus maintains it is unable to meet the union?s demands because it does not have enough money.

Johannesburg Executive Mayor Amos Masondo will meet his mayoral committee and provincial authorities to discuss the way forward.

However, the city?s Mavela Dlamini says it will try to stop the industrial action.

?We are also looking at our legal options but we don?t believe that they should be in a position to go on such a strike,? says Dlamini.

Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane maintains the city officials and the union need to find common ground.

'Quite concerned...'

?We quite concerned about it. We have already met with the mayoral committee including the mayor of Johannesburg. We?ll be meting again to look at this issue because it does impact negatively on the economy of Gauteng,? Mokonyane says adamantly.

Meanwhile, SAMWU?s Dumisane Langa says thousands of union members will gather in the Johannesburg city centre on Monday to discuss the looming strike.

?We?ll be in a position to give them feedback, with regard to negotiations, and also with the view to intensify the industrial action."

South African Communist Party leader Blade Nzimande has acknowledged that the industrial action will frustrate other business sectors in the province.

He says talks need to resume as soon as possible to prevent the secondary strike on Thursday.

?It is very important that workers have a weapon that they use but we hope that these matters will be attended to very urgently,? says Nzimande.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions? General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi wants Metrobus to reveal to the union how much its managers are getting paid.

?I?m calling for a complete transparent process where the managers will go to the union, open their books in relation to how they remunerate senior management,? said Vavi in an interview with Talk Radio 702?s John Robbie.