The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), which has accused Western Cape Premier Helen Zille of insulting women and black people, says it is to meet her face to face on Monday.

Cosatu Western Cape secretary Tony Ehrenreich said on Thursday that organised business had "intervened and essentially brokered a deal for a meeting to be held between the Premier and ourselves".

"In good faith, Cosatu thus herewith suspends any action until the outcome of that meeting," he said.

However Zille's office said the Premier's meeting was with the Cape Town Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and that Cosatu had merely been invited along.

"It's to do with local economic development, issues around the economic downturn," said her spokesperson Robert Macdonald.

Ehrenreich said the meeting would take place on Monday at the Premier's offices in Cape Town.

He said he himself would not be able to attend, but other members of Cosatu's provincial executive would.

Ehrenreich said Cosatu intended to raise the issue of gender equity in Zille's cabinet - which is all male, apart from her.

It has appealed to the South Africa Human Right Commission, the Public Protector and the Equality Court to declare that the appointments violate the gender prescripts of the Constitution.

Ehrenreich said the federation would also raise the issue of the province's response to the global economic crisis.

"They don't seem to get that this is probably the greatest challenge to confront our country since democracy," he said.