Security forces guard Purwakarta factories
PURWAKARTA, West Java (JP): About 100 police and troopers were ordered on Saturday to guard four factories in the Jatiluhur dam area, where an industrial dispute degenerated into full-blown violence on Friday, inflicting great material losses.
The order was given to prevent further unrest after 4,000 workers of Indonesia's largest polyester producer, PT Indorama Synthetics, went on a rampage when their demand for a pay rise was not met on Friday. By Saturday evening, order had reportedly been restored.
Purwakarta police chief, Lt. Col. S. Bery Chairawan, said: "We are securing four factories today (Saturday). Indorama is quiet but about 1,500 workers of Elegant, Indopanca and Indobharat (factories) were also demonstrating for a pay rise this morning."
The day-long protest by the Indorama workers erupted into the burning of more than 30 cars and stoning and burning of facilities. Nine rooms at the Rama International School in the compound were also damaged. There were reports that the factory's managers and their families fled the compound to safety in other areas.
The workers had asked for a raise of Rp 150,000 (US$13) but management only agreed to a Rp 25,000 raise, plus a Rp 35,000 extra allowance to help workers adjust to the increasing economic hardship.
Corporate secretary of Indorama, V.S. Baldwa, told The Jakarta Post that an increase of Rp 90,000 had been agreed to on Saturday morning in negotiations between the factory workers and management.
"This is the third pay increase this year," Baldwa said. The previous pay rises were given in January and July, he added.
Baldwa said the factory would resume work on Sunday.
Asked whether the violence was instigated by people from outside of the factory, Baldwa said: "It's difficult to figure it out."
He added that the company plans to issue an official statement on the incident on Monday.
Bery said the police have made no arrests so far, and that it would take some time to establish an estimate of the material losses incurred in the incident.
Bery said that at least two factory workers were admitted to the nearby hospital for head injuries because of Friday's unrest.
Separately in Ngawi, East Java, at least five people were injured by rubber bullets and 40 others arrested when a clash erupted on Friday between troopers and hundreds of villagers, who were stealing timber from a teak forest near the town.
The villagers have reportedly felled about 1,000 trees in the forest since Aug. 15.
The clash erupted when 300 security personnel, including riot troops and Air Force personnel, were deployed to stop the plundering.
The injured were taken to the hospital in the nearby town of Madiun and the authorities later released 20 of the detainees. (43/nur/byg)