Police question car upholstery maker's executives

Police question car upholstery maker's executives

JAKARTA (JP): East Jakarta Police detectives questioned on
Friday two executives of car upholstery producer PT Kadera AR
Indonesia in connection with a nighttime attack on the company's
striking workers that left one dead and several injured.

City police spokesman Sr. Comr. Anton Bahrul Alam identified
the two executives as PT Kadera's vice president Rulichi Sudjatim
and deputy general manager Amrin Gobel.

"They denied involvement in the attack... so let the
investigation continue," Anton said, adding that police will
reveal little until the investigation is over.

Hundreds of factory workers of PT Kadera AR Indonesia in
Pulogadung industrial estate were attacked while on strike in the
early hours of Thursday morning.

The workers, who had camped inside the factory since the
strike took effect on March 19 were asleep when around 500
unidentified people armed with machetes, swords and homemade
bombs, arrived on buses and started to attack.

A marketing employee at the company's main office linked the
attack to the executives' wish to evict the striking workers from
the factory.

The employee, who requested anonymity, told The Jakarta Post,
the incident occurred after several negotiations between the
workers -- who were demanding a 100 percent pay-rise -- and PT
Kadera management became deadlocked.

"The most recent attempt at negotiation was a session held on
Wednesday. This was attended by the company's president,
Yasuonii, but it proved fruitless. The workers demanded that
Rulichi be sacked. This was just not negotiable for the company
management," the member of staff said.

He added that on Wednesday evening, officials from the city's
Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration office visited the
protesting workers and asked them to halt their strike.

The officials also informed the factory workers that company
executives would no longer negotiate with them, the employee
said.

He added that he had seen an Army truck with some 30 officers
parked very close to a security post at the company's
headquarters, from 2 p.m. on Wednesday until Thursday morning.

"But the troops did nothing to halt the attack... even though
they witnessed what happened at the factory," he said.

Activities at PT Kadera's headquarters and its factory,
located on Jl. Rawa Gatel in Pulogadung Industrial Estate were
suspended on Friday as all the company's executives and
management staff had been evacuated to PT Kadera's Cibitung
factory.

"The company executives and management staff don't dare to
show up here," the marketing employee said.

He also said that during the strike, the company had hired
some 100 workers from other companies dealing with similar
products.

The temporary workers, paid Rp 15,000 (US$1.5) per hour, were
recruited to maintain the company's production, which had been
export-oriented since the strike began.

Some officers from the National Police central forensics
laboratory were seen collecting shrapnel and pieces of
explosives, which had been thrown by hoodlums during the surprise
attack.

Cakung subprecinct police chief Comr. I Gede Putu K, who was
seen at the factory on Friday, said the attacking group remained
unidentified.

Two bouquets of flowers, sent in condolence by the Labor Union
for Upholding Justice and Welfare (SPKP) and PT Alakasa
Industrindo, were laid in front of the factory's gates.

A number of labor unions and nongovernmental organizations
issued a joint statement condemning the attack.

"We demand tough legal action against whoever caused the death
of the employee, Kismun Effendi, and the injuries caused to
dozens of others," head of the labor division at the Jakarta
Legal Aid Institute Rita Olivia told the media on Friday.

The groups also demanded, in a joint statement, that police be
held accountable for the violence because "they could have
prevented the attack".

They accused the company's management of acting like thugs in
responding to the factory workers' demand for a pay-rise.

The organizations who signed the statement include the Greater
Jakarta Labor Union (SBJ), Association of Independent Labor
Unions (GSBI), Social Information and Legal Guidance Foundation
(Sisbikum), Jakarta Labor Institute, National Democratic Students
League and Shangri-La Independent Labor Union.

Meanwhile, East Jakarta Mayor Andi Mapaganti said on Friday
that workers were attacked by outsiders, but denied the
possibility that the company masterminding the violence.

"The attack might be aimed at directing people to speculate
that the company was involved. We should wait for the police
investigation," Andi announced at City Hall.

He said any sanction, including revocation of the company's
license, would also depend on the police's investigation into the
case. (01/ylt/jun)