Today is the fourth day that approximately 20 000 workers across South Africa from the freight transport sector are on strike over wages. They rejected the latest offer of a staggered 9% increase, and asked for a 12% increase instead. They have promised to “bring the economy to its knees” if their demands are not met.

The four unions involved are the SA Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu), the Professional Transport and Allied Workers’ Union SA (PTAWUSA), the Transport and Allied Workers’ Union of SA (TAWU) and the Motor Transport Workers’ Union (MTWU).

On Tuesday, several vehicles were stoned and torched in the Jozi city centre and on Gauteng’s East Rand. Yesterday, a Durban driver and his two assistants were hospitalised after being injured while trying to escape angry protesters. They first collided with a car before hitting a tree. In Cape Town, striking truck drivers set fire to two trucks in Nyanga – one a municipal truck, and the other a vehicle for delivering medicine.

Below, video footage can be seen of some of the violent incidents over the past couple of days:

[Source: SABC]