Police were on Tuesday night given express authority to draw a ring of steel around Parliament after striking National Education‚ Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) members caused a suspension of its business. "This far and no further" were the word of a stern-faced Baleka Mbete‚ speaker of the National Assembly to the parliamentary press corps.She was flanked by her deputy‚ Lechesa Tsenoli‚ and National Council of Provinces chairperson Thandi Modise.Presiding officers Mbete and Modise were clear that they would not budge on the union's demands for higher pay because Parliament's budget did not allow for it.They also gave assurances that the budgets needed for services to be rendered and grants to be paid would be passed on time.Negotiations between the top leaderships of the African National Congress-controlled national legislature and the ANC-aligned union continued deep into the night to try and break the deadlock.On Wednesday‚ Nehawu workers will only be allowed to enter the parliamentary precinct to work. They will not be allowed to protest inside the parliamentary precinct. If they try to do so‚ they will be met by the full force of the security forces.The National Assembly‚ which could not meet at all on Tuesday because of the disruptions‚ is scheduled to sit from 10am to late on Wednesday night to pass a raft of budget-related and other bills‚ as well as perform other functions such as appointing a new member to the magistrates commission.On Tuesday afternoon‚ armed police stood guard outside the often-dull National Council of Provinces to prevent any effort to stop the Division of Revenue Amendment Bill.That followed the suspension of the Parliament in the morning after members of Nehawu took over the National Assembly chamber.They sang and chanted "Asonwabanga‚ epalamente sifun' imali asonwabanga!” (loosely translated: “we are not happy in Parliament‚ we want money”)‚ making it impodssible for MPs to debate the adjustments to the national budget.They then changed to "Makuliwe!" (let us fight!).They occupied the chamber from 8am to 3pm. Union members are unhappy about wage and salary issues‚ and about the securitisation of parliament by the state security agency.Parliament reached an agreement with the union on wage issues last week‚ only to renege on it on Friday.The National Assembly chamber is one of three national key point buildings in the precinct. Police officers kept watch over the strikers on Tuesday‚ but no public order police were on scene. - TMG Digital/Parliamentary Bureau..