POLYPACK WORKERS BURN COMPANY CAR

MBABANE – Teargas and rubber bullets were used to disperse over 100 employees who burnt and vandalised their employer’s property at Swazi PolyPack yesterday morning.

The angry and seemingly uncompromising employees burnt a navy blue Toyota Corolla sedan belonging to the company after 7am yesterday, when the driver was waiting for the security guard to open the gate. The riot happened in the presence of two police officers who were in a van.

The officers were going about their normal patrol within the premises but were compelled to turn back to call for back-up.
Swazi PolyPack explained that the police officers were provided for their security, as the employees engaged in a strike action last month, and last week Thursday they tried to be rowdy but failed.

According to one of the senior directors who asked not to be named, there were over 100 employees involved in the riot, mostly females. The senior director said the employees wanted a 32 per cent salary increment which according to him, was impossible.

 Information gathered was that employees who were supposed to be starting the morning shift blocked the night shift team, as they were leaving the premises. They allegedly threatened them to join the protest action.

That is when the violent scenes erupted, with some of the agitated employees alleged to have sprinkled a flammable liquid on the car and set it alight. Police officers, mainly from the Operational Support Service Unit (OSSU) offices and personnel from the Swaziland Fire and Emergency Services Department descended on the scene. Some of the employees managed to run away while others remained watching from a distance.

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