20,000 workers stage rally to demand pay increase
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)