Stadium labour dispute a major cloud over sunny Durban (Feature)

By Veronica Sardon Jun 14, 2010, 16:23 GMT

Durban - The 'warmest place to be in the World Cup' became the tournament's hot spot Monday, as striking security stewards walked out of the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

Tension was in the air around the venue in South Africa's third- largest city, even though police spokeswoman Tummi Shai told the German Press Agency dpa that the situation was 'under control' despite the walkout.

Shai said police could guarantee security for Wednesday's Group H match between Spain and Switzerland even if the dispute involving private security firm Stallion is not resolved by then.

Hours earlier the dispute led to clashes between police and demonstrators.

Barely two hours after the end of Durban's World Cup debut - the Group D match between Germany and Australia - riot police used rubber bullets, tear gas and smoke grenades to break up a protest of around 500 stewards demanding more pay at a stadium parking lot.

Based on its tropical climate, Durban had advertised itself as South Africa's only destination that allowed for sunbathing, surf and swimming even in a winter World Cup, and fans were indeed enjoying the city's atmosphere.

However, what the Organising Committee defined as 'an employer- employee dispute over wages' threatened to cloud the city's World Cup experience.

'A meeting is being held as we speak between ourselves, the company and a representative of the workers,' Rich Mkhondo, the committee's chief communications officer, told a press conference in Johannesburg Monday. 'We want to make sure that it is not happening again. Things will be solved.'

The meeting did not appear to resolve the conflict, however. Within hours, all stewards had left the stadium, although officers on the ground told dpa that many had done so under pressure from their more militant peers.

Dozens of stewards stood outside the stadium gates for around two hours, as police took over their duties inside the facility. Eventually the protestors left.

Stallion Security, which is responsible for security at the stadium, refused to comment when asked about the dispute by dpa.

Police spokesman Leon Engelbrecht told dpa the stewards' demands over pay might be justified. They had to wait longer than expected to be paid after Sunday's match, and when their money arrived, they found it was less than they had been promised, he said.

'These people had something to complain about,' Engelbrecht admitted.

Beyond that, however, Engelbrecht stressed that the issue was a private matter between the security contractor and his employees.

Durban city officials issued a statement Monday, noting that the stadium has been managed by the Organizing Committee and by FIFA since May.

Security has been a major concern at the first World Cup ever held on African soil, even if this dispute did not immediately affect spectators.

The World Cup has for months been used as a platform for demands of various kinds in South Africa, in the hope that the public attention devoted to the tournament will lend an extra weight to various grievances.

Durban's was however the first such incident since the World Cup started on Friday.