Police Arrest Seven World Cup Stewards

Police broke up a demonstration concerning low pay for World Cup employees.
Police Arrest Seven World Cup Stewards
Stewards providing security at Johannesburg's Ellis Park stadium stage a walk-out on June 15, 2010 in Johannesburg hours before Brazil's match against North Korea in the 2010 World Cup football tournament. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images
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<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/wk102102303.jpg" alt="Stewards providing security at Johannesburg's Ellis Park stadium stage a walk-out on June 15, 2010 in Johannesburg hours before Brazil's match against North Korea in the 2010 World Cup football tournament.  (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images)" title="Stewards providing security at Johannesburg's Ellis Park stadium stage a walk-out on June 15, 2010 in Johannesburg hours before Brazil's match against North Korea in the 2010 World Cup football tournament.  (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-1818467"/></a>
Stewards providing security at Johannesburg's Ellis Park stadium stage a walk-out on June 15, 2010 in Johannesburg hours before Brazil's match against North Korea in the 2010 World Cup football tournament.  (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images)
Police broke up a demonstration concerning low pay for World Cup employees, using rubber bullets and a stun grenade in Cape Town on Thursday. Seven of the estimated 200 stewards were arrested.

Police superintendent Andre Traut said the gathering outside the stewards’ employer’s office in the Ysterplaat district was broken up after two hours, according to AP.

No injuries were reported. Those who were arrested were charged with “participating in an illegal gathering,” Traut said.

The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU), the labor union for transportation, cleaning, and security, said most of the stewards for the World Cup were hired without written contracts and were paid less than promised.

The protest was not the first. On Sunday night in Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban, police dispersed the first protest against low wages by stewards, using tear gas and rubber bullets.

Since then, the responsibility for the security in 5 of the 10 stadiums for the remaining of the games is in the hands of the police.
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