“We know that there are various leaders who are connected to Group Five through their construction companies; all of this is a cause for concern,” said Cosatu.

On Friday, construction workers began striking for the third day outside the site of Durban’s Moses Mabhida 2010 World Cup stadium.

“Group Five does not care about the possibility that such a strike may be prolonged long enough to compromise the 2009 deadline. They do not care because they are going to receive their entire (payment) and their excuse for not meeting deadlines will be the workers’ strike,” said Cosatu.

However, the union body said it was pleased with the Ethekwini mayor’s statement at a 2010 strategic indaba.

“The mayor has challenged the hullabaloo made around benefits and spin-offs that the World Cup has to offer. This is consistent with our concern that the 2010 Soccer World Cup project is being made to benefit the few, not the majority of our people.”

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is demanding project bonuses of R1500 a month for each worker. It is also demanding that subcontractors meet minimum wage requirements for the civil engineering sector.

The NUM is also demanding that workers be allowed to elect a full-time safety compliance worker, as they are unhappy with the 15 safety compliance officers provided by the consortium.

On Thursday, the Group Five-WBHO consortium obtained an interdict preventing construction workers from entering the site where the stadium is being built.

Construction workers, striking outside the area on Friday, said they were not prepared to settle for any less than they deserved.

“The management pays so much to use the building equipment for the stadium but they can’t pay us our money,” protester Lutho Mcawbe said. “We are earning peanuts. No one is benefiting from this stadium except the fat cats,” he said.

Hundreds of protesters converged on the stadium at 7am, but were prevented from coming within 50m of the gate entrance by police.