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Almost 18,000 members of the South African Transport & Allied Workers Union began striking today at Transnet Ltd. of South Africa over a pay dispute. The protests have already turned nasty - 18 people were injured during an outbreak of violence in Durban where protester harassing a group of working subcontractors were fired on by police with rubber bullets. Transnet has applied for an urgent court order against the union, and has said that those responsible for the incidences of violence will be prosecuted on criminal charges. The transport company ran extra routes over the weekend in an effort to counteract the strikes and have said they will strictly enforce a no work-no pay policy. If the strikes continue long, it could spell trouble for the soccer World Cup, beginning in South Africa in less than a month. The union is asking for a 15% pay increase, but management is only offering 11%, still well over inflation rates.