STRIKING poultry workers at County Fair in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, want their wages to be on a par with the rest of the industry, their union said

Food and Allied Workers Union spokesman Mlungiseleli Ndongeni said the workers went on strike last Wednesday after the employer said it was freezing wages.

The workers demanded R1,500 a week to close the wage gap between County Fair, a subsidiary of Astral Foods, and other farms in the area.

"But the employer offered zero percent," Ndongeni said.

On Monday, workers held a picket outside the company's offices in Muldersvlei in an attempt to persuade local management to enter wage talks.

Security guards allegedly fired on the strikers with paintball guns. But this was later denied.

Astral Foods could not immediately be reached for comment, but poultry director Theo Delport reportedly said the company had to count costs to keep their heads above water.