Police fire rubber bullets at striking farm workers in South Africa

Police in South Africa have fired rubber bullets in a bid to disperse striking farm workers protesting against low pay in the country’s grape-growing province of Western Cape.

On Wednesday, hundreds of farm workers hurled stones at the police and blocked the roads with burning tires in a region situated in 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of Cape Town.

Police forces used rubber bullets against the protesters to scatter them.

The Wednesday strike follows a similar walkout last year, which was suspended after at least two workers lost their lives in clashes with police.

The farm workers demand the doubling of their minimum salary of 69 rand (USD 8) a day.

“We are struggling. It is very difficult to survive on 69 rand a day. School is starting and we don’t have money for school clothes,” said Lena Lottering, 35, a mother of three.

“There is no food on the table and my children often go to bed hungry.”

Seasonal farm workers usually receive minimum wage in South Africa and are often without a job for many months of the year.

South Africa was rocked by a wave of strikes to demand higher wages in 2012.

On August 16, some 34 striking miners were killed after the police opened fire on demonstrators who were demanding higher pay.