Australian vineyards burning but South African winegrowers smouldering

There is unrest in the wine growing Southwest of South Africa as farm labourers protest for better wages. Police have come under attack during street patrols and have fired rubber bullets and tear gas at stone-throwing grape pickers.

The N1 main freeway linking the Cape region and the commercial hub of Johannesburg remained closed for a sixth straight day on Monday due to the protests which threaten the harvest of one of South Africa's leading exports.

Unions at the weekend vowed to intensify violent stoppages in the picturesque Western Cape wine lands to push for a more than doubling in the wage - from 69 rand ($A8) to 150 rand a day.