Striking WC security staff's contracts ended
15 June 2010, 19:42
Most of the stewards and security personnel who were striking outside the Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg dispersed just before 6pm on Tuesday.
About 500 of the more than 700 Stallion Security workers were paid R190 and had their contracts terminated, before they left the area.
The rest of the workers were still waiting by 6.30pm at the Fifa Accreditation centre at the Johannesburg stadium, next to Ellis Park, to get paid.
"They told us to meet at Soccer City on Thursday," said Charles Bopape, who got R190 for his work on Tuesday before he left.
"They said our names are no longer on the system."
Bopape and some of the other striking workers were on their way home.
"They said go home, go home, your contract is terminated," said Freeman Mbhalathi, who did not get paid.
"They said my name is not on the system today. Yesterday it was and I got paid, but not today," he said.
The strikers were contracted as security workers and stewards at the stadium. The stewards worked only on match days, showing fans to their seats, while the security stayed at the stadium throughout the tournament.
Mbhalathi confirmed other workers' versions that they were paid R135 on their first day of work, R205 on the second day, R190 on the third and R205 on the fourth day.
On Monday, they were paid R410.
"They bribed us," he said. "They wanted to keep us quiet after the strikes started in Durban."
The South African police on Tuesday deployed about 1000 members to take over security duties at Ellis Park after the security guards went on strike.
The police had now taken over the security at four World Cup stadiums after strike action began in Durban on Sunday.
"A meeting between the South African Police Service and the Local Organising Committee has resulted in an interim arrangement of SAPS taking over the security detail at four stadia, in Durban, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Johannesburg in the interest of ensuring safety of the World Cup tournament," said Major General Nonkululeko Mbatha in a statement.
Earlier on Tuesday, workers standing outside the Fifa accreditation centre at the stadium said Stallion Security told them they were going to get paid R190 for the night and have their contracts terminated.
A worker, Thandi Dladla of Orange Farm, said they were never promised a set amount of money per day on their contracts.
"They left the space for the amount of money open on the contract. Some of us signed it, others didn't."
Micheal Mosegathele said: "They said they first needed to go find out at Fifa [how much they would pay them]."
Mosegathele said he was promised double the salary of an ordinary security guard as this was a special event.
"I even went to school to get special event training," he said.
Portia Mabalizela said she had been working for Magnum Shield security company, but had left her job to work for the World Cup because she was promised more money as she would get events training.
The workers said they had to pay R1200 for their uniforms and they had to pay for their one meal per day.
Some of them were sleeping in Park Station between games as they did not have money to get home.
The workers said they were contracted for 12 hour shifts from 6am to 6pm but they often had to work up to 16 hours.
National police commissioner General Bheki Cele assured match goers that the games would be safe.
"We have activated necessary and adequate contingency plans to different stadia in the country.
"Our priority call of action according to our mandate is to ensure the safety of the tournament as per the our security guarantees, we are confident that we will not compromise the safety of the tournament including our day to day normal policing," he said.
Stallion Security management was not available to comment. - Sapa
About 500 of the more than 700 Stallion Security workers were paid R190 and had their contracts terminated, before they left the area.
The rest of the workers were still waiting by 6.30pm at the Fifa Accreditation centre at the Johannesburg stadium, next to Ellis Park, to get paid.
"They told us to meet at Soccer City on Thursday," said Charles Bopape, who got R190 for his work on Tuesday before he left.
"They said our names are no longer on the system."
Bopape and some of the other striking workers were on their way home.
"They said go home, go home, your contract is terminated," said Freeman Mbhalathi, who did not get paid.
"They said my name is not on the system today. Yesterday it was and I got paid, but not today," he said.
The strikers were contracted as security workers and stewards at the stadium. The stewards worked only on match days, showing fans to their seats, while the security stayed at the stadium throughout the tournament.
Mbhalathi confirmed other workers' versions that they were paid R135 on their first day of work, R205 on the second day, R190 on the third and R205 on the fourth day.
On Monday, they were paid R410.
"They bribed us," he said. "They wanted to keep us quiet after the strikes started in Durban."
The South African police on Tuesday deployed about 1000 members to take over security duties at Ellis Park after the security guards went on strike.
The police had now taken over the security at four World Cup stadiums after strike action began in Durban on Sunday.
"A meeting between the South African Police Service and the Local Organising Committee has resulted in an interim arrangement of SAPS taking over the security detail at four stadia, in Durban, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Johannesburg in the interest of ensuring safety of the World Cup tournament," said Major General Nonkululeko Mbatha in a statement.
Earlier on Tuesday, workers standing outside the Fifa accreditation centre at the stadium said Stallion Security told them they were going to get paid R190 for the night and have their contracts terminated.
A worker, Thandi Dladla of Orange Farm, said they were never promised a set amount of money per day on their contracts.
"They left the space for the amount of money open on the contract. Some of us signed it, others didn't."
Micheal Mosegathele said: "They said they first needed to go find out at Fifa [how much they would pay them]."
Mosegathele said he was promised double the salary of an ordinary security guard as this was a special event.
"I even went to school to get special event training," he said.
Portia Mabalizela said she had been working for Magnum Shield security company, but had left her job to work for the World Cup because she was promised more money as she would get events training.
The workers said they had to pay R1200 for their uniforms and they had to pay for their one meal per day.
Some of them were sleeping in Park Station between games as they did not have money to get home.
The workers said they were contracted for 12 hour shifts from 6am to 6pm but they often had to work up to 16 hours.
National police commissioner General Bheki Cele assured match goers that the games would be safe.
"We have activated necessary and adequate contingency plans to different stadia in the country.
"Our priority call of action according to our mandate is to ensure the safety of the tournament as per the our security guarantees, we are confident that we will not compromise the safety of the tournament including our day to day normal policing," he said.
Stallion Security management was not available to comment. - Sapa
Cape Town
