The Durban man, who works for Allied Trucking in Westmead, was expected to have surgery on Wednesday morning for injuries to his face caused by a stone thrown through the vehicle’s windscreen.

 

The company’s owner, Rob Mordaunt, told The Mercury that the driver was in Trafford Road when he was attacked. He said all his trucks had to be taken off the road in the interests of his employees’ safety.

 

Metro police spokesman Eugene Msomi confirmed that 150 protesters went through Pinetown business district and attacked trucks.

 

In Richmond Road, the group forced one truck to stop, roughed up the driver, confiscated his keys and told him to leave without the vehicle.

 

No arrests have been made.

 

Meanwhile, hopes of a quick settlement to the nationwide strike by more than 20 000 road freight employees were dashed as Gauteng strikers rejected their employers’ latest offer on Tuesday.

 

“The Gauteng branches have rejected the 8.5 percent offer,” said SA Transport and Allied Workers Union spokesman Vincent Masoga. Their leaders had been told to hold out for a 12 percent increase.

 

Go to http://www.iol.co.za