Sixty-eight striking municipal workers were arrested in Knysna on Wednesday and at least 27 more in Cape Town as violence surrounding a countrywide pay protest continued.
Southern Cape police said the 68 will be charged with public violence after they allegedly started damaging municipal property and state vehicles in the coastal town.
”Police warned them to stop and thereafter arrested them,” Inspector Elgin Antonie said.
In Cape Town, the South African Municipal Workers’ Union’s (Samwu) provincial secretary said 27 strikers were arrested at the city’s Delft municipal depot.
Addressing a march where police had earlier thrown a stun grenade to control crowds, Andre Adams said he was still waiting for a report on the reasons for the arrests.
Strikers have reportedly thrown bottles at police, and a media photographer was struck in the eye by a pebble.
He continued covering the event after receiving a dressing.
Earlier, striking municipal workers placed burning tyres on a feeder road into the East Rand town of Alberton. In Kempton Park, police fired rubber bullets to disperse a group breaking fire hydrants.
The incidents come as Samwu considers legal action against police who have intervened in its protests.
Samwu spokesperson Roger Ronnie called on the police to remain on the periphery of industrial action and said early reports indicate that previous damage to property came after protesters were set upon by police.
The union is gathering information on the incidents and plans to complain to ”the highest authority” after stun grenades and rubber bullets and, they said, live ammunition were used to control a group of protesters damaging traffic lights in Germiston on Monday.
Police are investigating the Germiston incident to determine the source of the alleged live ammunition and of the stun grenades and rubber bullets. The incident was also policed by the metro police.
South African Local Government Association (Salga) spokesperson Linda Dlamini said it is advising municipalities to take action against employees engaging in misconduct.
But Samwu said: ”There is no need to use live ammunition on workers; there is no reason to use stun grenades when they are throwing litter on the streets. It is an abuse of power when clearly there is no threat to lives.”
Ronnie added that workers have a right to picket under the Labour Relations Act.
Meanwhile, the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union and Salga have been asked by a mediator to consider revising their mandates after it became clear that their present positions leave no room for negotiation.
The mediator’s proposal includes an across-the-board increase of 6% with an additional 1,5% adjustment, effective from February 1 2006, to the wages of all workers earning below R4 792 per month.
Salga has already instituted a 6% increase. — Sapa