The Occupation Specific Dispensation (OSD) at the centre of discussions between the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and government Ministers has been referred to the bargaining council, the union federation said on Monday.

This follows a four-hour meeting between Cosatu and its affiliates, and seven public service Ministers at the African National Congress's Luthuli House headquarters in Johannesburg on Monday.

"An agreement was reached that the matter be referred to the formal bargaining structures," said Cosatu president S'dumo Dlamini.

He said the matter would be heard by the public service coordinating bargaining council (PSCBC) on Wednesday.

The aim of the PSCBC is to maintain sound labour relations in the public service. It provides a platform for the state as employer and the public service unions to engage constructively over matters of mutual interest.

Monday's meeting was held to reflect on the implementation of the OSD, which was agreed upon in September 2007 following a crippling public workers' strike.

The government resolved then to introduce the OSD for certain types of public sector workers in an effort to address their pay and working conditions.

Failure to implement it has in turn resulted in a massive outcry from unions like the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) and Cosatu, with Popcru threatening a strike and Cosatu warning of an imminent massive strike in the public sector.

Public sector doctors recently embarked on a strike over the OSD, calling on the government to address the issue.

Cosatu secretary-general Zwelinzima Vavi went on to send letters to the Ministers of the Public Service and Administration, Health, Higher Education anfd Training, Basic Education, Justice and Constituttional Development, Social Development, Correctional Services, Police and Finance, asking for a meeting to resolve the matter.