Mbombela - Striking staff members at the Mpumalanga Regional Training Trust have built cooking fires outside the premises to feed themselves during the strike.
Since Monday, the strikers prevented non-striking workers and students from entering the facility, in Kanyamazane near Mbombela, demanding their annual bonuses for 2014, a Sapa correspondent reported on Thursday.
They made fire at the gates and cooked porridge, cow head meat, tripe and beef to feed themselves.
“We shall cook and eat while we strike. This is how we do it when we strike. We know that hunger brings anger, so we want to strike without any anger,” said one of the strikers.
Hospitality students have been unable to attend class all week because of the strike.
National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) acting regional chairman Scara Masilela said the protesters wanted the seven percent increase they were supposed to get last year.
He said the union took the matter to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration but it was never resolved.
“That's why we took to the streets.”
He claimed Nehawu tried, but failed, several times to engage the management peacefully.
Masilela claimed the strike was legal and protected.
A second-year student, who asked not to be named, said the strike was unfair on students.
“They were burning tyres and the gate was locked when the workers were protesting. This is unfair for us because we are being left behind with our studies,” she said.
She said those who did not participate in the protest were called names.
MRTT chief executive officer Davis Moropane's phone rang unanswered.
Sapa