TENBOSCH – Striking Umbhaba workers turned violent on Monday morning after employers allegedly refused to sign an agreement permitting them to be associated with trade unions.
Since last Wednesday there was a noticeable increase in the number of barricades and stones on the Tenbosch Road connecting the main gate to Martloth Park with the N4. Strikers have been preventing traffic from passing through.
Apparently a weekend visitor on his way back from Marloth Park, who initially refused to stop when ordered to do so by the rioters, panicked when his vehicle was attacked, hitting a pedestrian in his haste to turn around. The police pursued him all the way to the gate at Marloth Park. He was arrested and taken into custody at the Komatipoort Police Station. Protesting workers have always resorted to halting oprations on the farm by not allowing anyone to enter the premises.
“The reason we want a union here at Umbhaba is because we are being opressed by management. Most of the people who work here don’t have identity documents and make use of passports, which means they don’t have work permits. In the event that someone gets injured or dies here, they can’t claim for it,” explained one of the protesters, Mr Dumisani Madonsela. The protesters were all clad in ANC T-shirts. When asked about this affiliation an employee who requested to remain anonymous said the company did not allow this type of attire but they were wearing the shirts in defiance of this rule.
Lowvelder contacted the Umbhaba management for comment but nobody was available at the time of going to press.
