Workers protest attack by 'thugs'

MEDAN, North Sumatra: Thousands of workers with PT Shamrock Manufacturing Corporation (SMC) and PT Medan Tropical Caning (MTC) staged a rally here on Monday to protest a recent attack on several of their striking colleagues.

They demanded that Medan Police launch an investigation into the role of hoodlums allegedly hired by PT Shamrock in the attack that injured five workers.

An executive of PT Shamrock denied his company had hired thugs to assault its workers who protested against the dismissal of their colleagues.

Medan Police operations department chief Comr. Slamet Hadi, who received representatives of the demonstrating workers, promised to probe their report before making arrests of suspects for a further investigation. --JP