Police question car upholstery maker's executives<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): East Jakarta Police detectives questioned on
\nFriday two executives of car upholstery producer PT Kadera AR
\nIndonesia in connection with a nighttime attack on the company's
\nstriking workers that left one dead and several injured.<\/p>\n
City police spokesman Sr. Comr. Anton Bahrul Alam identified
\nthe two executives as PT Kadera's vice president Rulichi Sudjatim
\nand deputy general manager Amrin Gobel.<\/p>\n
\"They denied involvement in the attack... so let the
\ninvestigation continue,\" Anton said, adding that police will
\nreveal little until the investigation is over.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of factory workers of PT Kadera AR Indonesia in
\nPulogadung industrial estate were attacked while on strike in the
\nearly hours of Thursday morning.<\/p>\n
The workers, who had camped inside the factory since the
\nstrike took effect on March 19 were asleep when around 500
\nunidentified people armed with machetes, swords and homemade
\nbombs, arrived on buses and started to attack.<\/p>\n
A marketing employee at the company's main office linked the
\nattack to the executives' wish to evict the striking workers from
\nthe factory.<\/p>\n
The employee, who requested anonymity, told The Jakarta Post,
\nthe incident occurred after several negotiations between the
\nworkers -- who were demanding a 100 percent pay-rise -- and PT
\nKadera management became deadlocked.<\/p>\n
\"The most recent attempt at negotiation was a session held on
\nWednesday. This was attended by the company's president,
\nYasuonii, but it proved fruitless. The workers demanded that
\nRulichi be sacked. This was just not negotiable for the company
\nmanagement,\" the member of staff said.<\/p>\n
He added that on Wednesday evening, officials from the city's
\nMinistry of Manpower and Transmigration office visited the
\nprotesting workers and asked them to halt their strike.<\/p>\n
The officials also informed the factory workers that company
\nexecutives would no longer negotiate with them, the employee
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He added that he had seen an Army truck with some 30 officers
\nparked very close to a security post at the company's
\nheadquarters, from 2 p.m. on Wednesday until Thursday morning.<\/p>\n
\"But the troops did nothing to halt the attack... even though
\nthey witnessed what happened at the factory,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Activities at PT Kadera's headquarters and its factory,
\nlocated on Jl. Rawa Gatel in Pulogadung Industrial Estate were
\nsuspended on Friday as all the company's executives and
\nmanagement staff had been evacuated to PT Kadera's Cibitung
\nfactory.<\/p>\n
\"The company executives and management staff don't dare to
\nshow up here,\" the marketing employee said.<\/p>\n
He also said that during the strike, the company had hired
\nsome 100 workers from other companies dealing with similar
\nproducts.<\/p>\n
The temporary workers, paid Rp 15,000 (US$1.5) per hour, were
\nrecruited to maintain the company's production, which had been
\nexport-oriented since the strike began.<\/p>\n
Some officers from the National Police central forensics
\nlaboratory were seen collecting shrapnel and pieces of
\nexplosives, which had been thrown by hoodlums during the surprise
\nattack.<\/p>\n
Cakung subprecinct police chief Comr. I Gede Putu K, who was
\nseen at the factory on Friday, said the attacking group remained
\nunidentified.<\/p>\n
Two bouquets of flowers, sent in condolence by the Labor Union
\nfor Upholding Justice and Welfare (SPKP) and PT Alakasa
\nIndustrindo, were laid in front of the factory's gates.<\/p>\n
A number of labor unions and nongovernmental organizations
\nissued a joint statement condemning the attack.<\/p>\n
\"We demand tough legal action against whoever caused the death
\nof the employee, Kismun Effendi, and the injuries caused to
\ndozens of others,\" head of the labor division at the Jakarta
\nLegal Aid Institute Rita Olivia told the media on Friday.<\/p>\n
The groups also demanded, in a joint statement, that police be
\nheld accountable for the violence because \"they could have
\nprevented the attack\".<\/p>\n
They accused the company's management of acting like thugs in
\nresponding to the factory workers' demand for a pay-rise.<\/p>\n
The organizations who signed the statement include the Greater
\nJakarta Labor Union (SBJ), Association of Independent Labor
\nUnions (GSBI), Social Information and Legal Guidance Foundation
\n(Sisbikum), Jakarta Labor Institute, National Democratic Students
\nLeague and Shangri-La Independent Labor Union.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, East Jakarta Mayor Andi Mapaganti said on Friday
\nthat workers were attacked by outsiders, but denied the
\npossibility that the company masterminding the violence.<\/p>\n
\"The attack might be aimed at directing people to speculate
\nthat the company was involved. We should wait for the police
\ninvestigation,\" Andi announced at City Hall.<\/p>\n
He said any sanction, including revocation of the company's
\nlicense, would also depend on the police's investigation into the
\ncase. (01\/ylt\/jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-question-car-upholstery-makers-executives-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}