Group claims responsibility for strike

Group claims responsibility for strike

JAKARTA (JP): A group of activists calling itself the People's Democratic Union (PRD) claimed responsibility yesterday for mobilizing 12,000 PT Sritex workers to stage a protest last Monday in Sukoharjo, Central Java.

Ignatius Pranowo, PRD's advocacy coordinator, said at a media briefing at the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute that the group supported the Sritex workers in their demand for a wage hike in line with the government-set minimum wage level.

Police in Sukoharjo said they detained 40 students who took part in Monday's demonstration. The students, however, were released on the same day. Sritex's management has denied that its workers are paid below the minimum wage level.

PRD became known to the public last week when its activists joined East Timorese youths in breaking into the Dutch and Russian embassies, demanding a referendum in the former Portuguese colony. This was the first time that an Indonesian organization publicly joined in the call for an independent East Timor state.

The embassy protesters were detained by police for 24 hours of questioning before they were released.

Ignatius said the whereabouts of some of the protesters after their release were not known, though it was reported that some of them had been picked up again by the police. "We've lost contact with some of them since their release on Saturday," he said. (imn)