Shoe workers complain of torture

JAKARTA (JP): Workers of shoe producer PT Emperor Footwear Indonesia complained on Thursday of being tortured while staging a protest early this week at the factory's site in Bantar Gebang, Bekasi.

Thirteen representatives of the workers went to the National Commission on Human Rights, saying that at least five of their colleagues suffered injuries when scores of hoodlums hired by the firm dispersed the rally of hundreds of workers.

Also on Thursday, some 400 of the remaining 700 employees of Emperor Footwear Indonesia continued their strike to protest the dismissal of 11 workers' leaders, the representatives' spokesman Kusnadi said.

According to Kusnadi, Monday's demonstration was sparked by the same issue.

"The 11 workers, who led the firm's union, were dismissed earlier this month because -- according to the company -- of the declining number of shoe orders," he said.

"Actually, the firm's reason was not really true because most of us now often work overtime," Kusnadi said.

In October the firm, which makes various brands of shoes for export, dismissed 800 of its 1,500 employees for the same reason, he added.

Kusnadi said the company had no justification to hire the hoodlums to break up the rally.

"The firm has enough security guards and we held our rally in a peaceful way. So, why did they (the employers) have to hire the hoodlums to fight us?" Kusnaedi said.

The firm's management could not be reached for comment on Thursday.

Commission member B.N. Marbun promised to send a letter to the company soon asking for an explanation of the matter. (jun)