Thousands of striking public service workers marched through major cities across South Africa on Thursday on the ninth day of a crippling strike that unions have vowed to intensify. More than 10,000 marchers in red t-shirts brought central Johannesburg to a halt, blowing vuvuzelas and whistles and ringing bells down the streets as onlookers stood on balconies and rooftops taking in the spectacle. Some of the marchers carried clubs, sticks and whips and sang songs urging worker solidarity. The march nearly degenerated into chaos when a group of angry demonstrators punched and pushed police cars that were bringing officers to remove a group of protesters that had climbed on top of a police van. Government employees began an indefinite strike on August 18 and have pledged to continue the shutdown until the government grants their wage demands. 'We go until we get what we want, that is the aim,' said agriculture department employee Nandi Adonis, 32, who joined thousands protesting outside parliament in Cape Town. Thursday's protests exposed a deepening rift in the unions' alliance with the ruling African National Congress, with the main labour federation Cosatu lashing out at the government of President Jacob Zuma, who was elected last year with strong support from organised labour. Zwelinzima Vavi, the labour federation's leader, called the alliance 'dysfunctional. The centre cannot hold,' he told reporters. The federation has called on all its affiliates -- which include unions in key mining and manufacturing sectors -- to strike in solidarity with public servants if their demands for better pay are not met. 'We will not allow a defeat of the public workers. We will not allow you to go back to your workplaces without victory in your hand,' Vavi told protesters in Johannesburg. The strike has hit schools and hospitals where some 2,800 soldiers are working alongside skeleton staff battling to care for patients. The South African police force won a court injunction just hours ahead of Thursday's mass protests barring officers from joining the strike after the main police union came out in favour of industrial action. The government, which last weekend obtained a court order for essential workers to return to their posts, appealed for calm ahead of Thursday's rallies and said threats to shut down the economy were irresponsible and fuelled violence and intimidation. 'The fact that union demands are not affordable at this stage is no reason to resort to war talk or to abandon talks,' said government spokesman Themba Maseko. 'The nation is witnessing unprecedented and reprehensible forms of violence, intimidation and unacceptable behaviour such as the assault of learners by adults, intimidation of volunteers and the prevention of citizens from accessing urgently needed medical care,' he said in a statement. Unions are insisting on an 8.6 percent increase and a 1,000-rand (137-dollar, 107-euro) housing allowance. The government is offering seven percent and a 700-rand allowance. The industrial action has created a political headache for Zuma, who rose to power on a wave of support from unions that are now pressuring his government to boost wages and adopt more pro-labour economic policies. Anger over the wage offer is fuelled in part by what workers see as conspicuous spending on luxuries like cars by senior government officials. Zuma's government, however, says its priority is creating new jobs rather than delivering hefty increases to current workers. The unions' wage demand is more than twice the rate of inflation, which the government says would force cuts in public services that already struggle to meet demand. 