Workers' protest ends in violence

SURABAYA: A protest by 150 workers of PT Mepoli Industry Top, a plastic business located in Tandes, West Surabaya, degenerated into a riot on Wednesday after unidentified people armed with sickles attacked the protesting workers.

Eyewitnesses said that ten muscular men, emerged from the factory compound and attacked the workers after the protest had continued for 30 minutes.

"We did not know the men. They returned to the factory after six of us were wounded," Marpaung, one of the protesting workers, said.

Sutrisno was seriously wounded and is being treated at Dr. Sutomo General Hospital.

The workers said they were sure that the factory management had hired thugs to deal with the workers' protest.

"What made us surprised was that the police officers guarding the demonstration just watched the assault without attempting to stop it," said Marpaung.

"There was a conspiracy between management and the police, he added"

Marpaung said the demonstrators wanted management to reinstate eight workers who were arbitrarily dismissed three months ago.

Meanwhile, Sudarto, chairman of the labor division at the Surabaya Legal Aid Institute (LBH), blamed security officers (police) for failing to deal fairly with conflicts involving workers protests.

"There were at least three clashes between protesting workers and thugs hired by managements during the last three months. First the clash at the Mardi Santosa Hospital in Bubutan, the Maspion workers protest and the last, the Mepoli incident," said Sudarto. (nur/sur)