A lack of equipment, medical supplies and food at healthcare facilities, unfilled vacancies and the non-payment of allowances prompted the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) to join a Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) national day of action on Thursday.

In a show of force, Cosatu took to the streets to protest against a string of grievances, among them corruption, continued electricity and water crises; and budget cuts.

They marched in major centres and handed over memorandums to various government officials and private employers to state their grievances.

Denosa national spokesperson Sibongiseni Delihlazo said "glitches" in public service systems had characterised the government's poor service delivery for years.

"On the healthcare front, the government has constantly failed to meet the expectations of its commitments regarding payment of allowances, performance incentives, filing of vacant positions, procurement of equipment and medical supplies, and food for healthcare facilities," Delihlazo said.

Water- and electricity-related maintenance have been neglected, leaving healthcare centres with constant water shortages and electricity outages.

In addition, Delihlazo said, billions of rand meant for public services in all three spheres of government were lost through corruption.

The union said properly trained and qualified nurses were not being appointed.

"The absorption of nurses after completing studies and community service had become an annual struggle. This is despite the number of nurses produced, whose production through studies is mainly funded by the government, getting reduced every year, thus affecting the quality of nursing services at public healthcare facilities," he said.

In May, News 24 reported that 20 000 nurses were not working.

According to data Denosa presented, Gauteng has about 10 000 unemployed nurses, followed by the Free State with 5 000, Limpopo with 3 000, Mpumalanga with 2 000, the Western Cape with 1 000, the North West with 500, the Eastern Cape with 350, and 200 in KwaZulu-Natal.