Shain Germaner | 26 September 2012
JOHANNESBURG - Hundreds of truck drivers who gathered at Beyers Naude Square in the Johannesburg city centre stormed their way into Park Station on Wednesday.
The group were asked to disperse from the square by leaders of the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu).
Earlier, striking truck drivers began attacking working drivers on the N2 Highway in Cleveland, East of Johannesburg.
Incidents of intimidation and violence against working truck drivers have been reported mostly on Gauteng's East Rand.
A witness to the M2 attacks said “All the transport vehicles are being stoned. The protesters are running around with pangas and axes.”
At the same time, about 200 truck drivers gathered at Beyers Naude Square are refusing to disperse.
Union leaders are still waiting for permits to allow the gathering to continue with full permission from the city.
But a large portion of truck drivers are still waiting in the square as leadership continues discussions with police.
When they were asked to leave for a second time, some workers became agitated, and became protesting on the street.
Negotiations were deadlocked on Tuesday night with the employer reducing their offer to 8.5 percent to eight percent.
The union said they were still waiting for the employers association to call them back for further negotiations.
The gathering comes as truck drivers continue to strike for a wage increase of twelve percent per year until 2014.
Wage negotiations between transport unions and the road freight employers association have come to a standstill.
An estimated 20,000 truck drivers across the country have gone on strike, as wage negotiations between the South African Transport Allied Workers Union (Satawu) and the Road Freight Employers Association have come to a standstill.
On Tuesday, two vehicles were damaged in Beyers Naude Square in Johannesburg, where truck drivers had gathered, and another two trucks were set alight in Elandsfontein.
Ekurhuleni Metro Police said they have had their hands full with truck drivers picketing at work on Wednesday morning.
Images of two trucks set alight in Isando have emerged on Twitter, and police said they have already received a report of another truck being mobbed by a group of striking workers, outside the Isando railway station.
The group allegedly stoned the truck and the driver was forced to flee.
Meanwhile, Cape Town truck drivers also picketed at various places on Tuesday.
The protesters were peaceful.
(Edited by Lindiwe Mlandu)