Seven arrested in SA stewards protest

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP):

Police broke up a demonstration of about 200 stewards with rubber bullets and a stun grenade in a labour dispute linked to low pay for World Cup duties.

Police superintendent Andre Traut said seven people were arrested but none injured during yesterday's protest outside the stewards' employer's offices.

Police have taken responsibility for stadium security in Cape Town, both Johannesburg venues, and the grounds in Durban and Port Elizabeth since stewards began protests Sunday night.

Traut said yesterday's gathering in Cape Town was broken up after about two hours in the Ysterplaat neighbourhood, far from where most fans gathered on the eve of the England vs Algeria game at Green Point Stadium. Those arrested were charged with "participating in an illegal gathering," Traut said.

The COSATU main labour federation said police were out of line to take such drastic action.

"Nobody was in danger," COSATU provincial secretary Tony Ehrenreich said in a telephone interview.

Instead of breaking up demonstrations, "there should be negotiations," he said.

Privately hired security stewards went on strike over low wages, and police had already taken over their duties on an interim basis before Wednesday's announcement that the arrangement will last through the World Cup tournament.

Five of the 10 stadiums have not been affected by the protest.

Soccer City - the largest of the World Cup venues - hosted its first match under police-staffed security when Argentina played South Korea yesterday and there were no major security issues.

The protests began Sunday night when police used tear gas and fired rubber bullets to disperse stewards in Durban who were angry about their wages and refused to leave Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Weaken the security networks

But bringing in police from outside could weaken the security networks in many crime-ridden neighbourhoods, COSATU said in a statement.

The police "are being taken from the normal policing duties and leaving communities and other areas exposed. While we accept that in urgent circumstances police deployment may happen, authorities can't be relied upon to resolve all problems between companies and workers," COSATU said.

The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union, which represents many security workers, said it had asked the Labour Department to investigate whether laws were broken during the recruitment of the security stewards.

According to the union, most of the security workers hired for the World Cup did not have written contracts, were paid less than promised, received inadequate training and were forced to work in substandard conditions.

A group of protesters shout during a demonstration against the World Cup in Durban, South Africa, on Wednesday. More than 100 World Cup security stewards protested in Durban before the Spain against Switzerland game, calling on FIFA to confirm what they should be paid for working at the tournament.  - AP