Angry former security guards forced their boss to barricade himself inside his office when they demonstrated outside the company premises demanding money owed to them.

Janson Mulaudzi, director of Hla-nganani Protection Services in Langlaagte, west of Johannesburg, had to call in the police last Friday.

Tension was rising outside the firm where about 100 protesters burnt wood, chanted slogans and dared security guards and the police to shoot them.

The police had to escort Mulaudzi off the premises as he feared for his safety.

When Sowetan contacted the company, no one was prepared to comment.

"How am I going to feed my family and pay rent if they say that we will only get our money in two or three months' time?" asked one of the security guards, Given Mogane.

The former employees, who started protesting on Wednesday, said they were told to return on Friday for a response to their demands. But they were angry when they were only given pay slips on their arrival.

Company officials reportedly refused to address them.

The workers wanted an explanation on what happened to their service, UIF and provident fund benefits.

"We were given statements for our provident fund where we are supposed to get R8000 and others R9000. Instead they told us there was only R2000 to R3000 available," Mduduzi Hlongwani said.

"We were contracted to guard Metrorail facilities. Some of us have worked for the company for about a decade. Now Hlanganani says its contract with Metrorail has expired," said the protesters.

They said it was unclear how many employees were retrenched.