/ 24 June 1999

STRIKING WORKERS TORCH GRADER

STRIKING labourers on the R2-billion Maputo Corridor toll road torched a large grader and an excavator during a wage dispute on Tuesday night. No one has been arrested for the attack yet but regional police spokeswoman Sergeant Thabisile Gama said police have strong leads and expect to take some of the culprits into custody soon. The vehicles were not completely gutted but damage has been estimated at R6000. Labourers burnt the construction vehicles after a four-day illegal strike deadlocked with Stocks & Stocks, Basil Read Bouygues (SBB) refusing to increase minimum wages from R4,15 to R5,58.