20100823
reuters

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Striking South African state workers defied a court order to return to work on Monday and police fired rubber bullets to disperse strikers who were blocking entrances to a Johannesburg hospital.

More than 60 protesters were arrested nationwide for obstructing roads and destroying property in violent demonstrations.

A labour court on Saturday ordered thousands of health care workers and others deemed as providing essential services to return to their jobs to lesson the blow of a walkout that has shut schools and caused chaos at hospitals.

"There is no one who is expected to be going back to work today. We will challenge that court order if its intention is to intimidate our members into submission," said Sizwe Pamla, a spokesman for healthcare workers' union NEHAWU.

Police fired rubber bullets at workers blocking access to a Johannesburg hospital.

"The strikers resisted arrest at one hospital and police fired rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. We are not aware of any injuries," said Colonel Eugene Opperman, a Gauteng police spokesman.

The strike started last Wednesday among a coalition of unions representing 1.3 million state workers that include teachers, police, prison guards, immigration officials and clerks.

The court order applies to a portion of the total, mostly health workers and other sectors seen as "essential".