20,000 workers stage rally to demand pay increase
SURABAYA (JP): Around 20,000 workers took to the streets on Wednesday demanding pay increases and meal allowances, and clashed with security personnel from the Marine, Army and Police forces.
Nine people, including four students, were detained on suspicion that they persuaded the demonstrators to start vandalizing and pelting security personnel with stones. Police and the military fired warning shots and sprayed yellow liquid to disperse the crowds of workers who started their protest seven days ago.
Most of the demonstrators were employees of the PT Maspion appliance manufacturer in Buduran, Sidoarjo, while others were workers from PT Rajapaksi, PT Omega, PT Panggung Elektronik, PT Siantar Top Tbk, PT Trias Sentosa and PT Terang Fajar Persada.
Riding on buses, trucks and motorcycles, the striking workers visited the governor's office, the East Java provincial legislature, and the provincial police headquarters. Along the way, some of them vandalized passing vehicles.
On Wednesday, the workers gathered at a point along the border of Sidoarjo and Surabaya, intending to march down to the city center. Near the Waru roundabout, their advance was blocked by hundreds of armed police and military troops.
Traffic was paralyzed for hours, as the roundabout is the main entrance to Surabaya. Thousands of residents were stranded as no public transportation could pass through.
A few people among the frustrated demonstrators started to jeer and throw stones at the officers. Thousands of others, however, followed suit and the air soon became thick with flying stones.
Security personnel fired warning shots and sprayed the crowd with yellow liquid.
Four of the nine detainees were student members of the Arek Surabaya Pro-Reformasi (Pro-Reform Surabaya Children).
Chief of Surabaya Police Col. Alfian regretted that the workers' demonstration progressively turned ugly. "We need to find out from those that we arrested why this happened," he said.
A similar incident took place in Bandung, West Java, on Tuesday when hundreds of Panyawangan villagers in Cileunyi district went on rampage. They attacked PT Shinko Toyogo Gistex garment company which had refused to employ them.
At least seven cars and parts of the factory building were damaged.
The vandalism began at around 7 a.m., when hundreds of people armed with bats and sticks rushed to the complex and started to smash up equipment. Managers and around 1,000 workers panicked and fled the complex.
At least 80 women workers fainted in the melee. No casualties or injuries were reported. Some rioters said they were offended because the managers did not accept some villagers' applications.
"I am really offended. Those who applied from outside the village were hired on the spot, while our applications were dismissed," villager Rohim said.
The rioting subsided several hours later but police were still deployed to prevent further trouble. (nur/43)