Malang – Hundreds of Malang Police officers moved in Thursday to break up a strike by workers at an auto body manufacturing plant in East Java.

Police detained 130 workers and named 28 as criminal suspects. The strikers had earlier sealed off the entrance to PT Adi Putro's factory.

"The 28 were named suspects to try and intimidate us...," said Indonesian Workers Struggle Union (SPBI) secretary-general Andi Irfan, who was among those detained by the police.

Malang Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Ismail Isja said the police took action against the strikers only after allowing their action to go on for a month.

He said the police had received a recommendation from the Malang Manpower Office to break up the strike. The company, which had no comment on Thursday's events, earlier ordered the strikers back to work.

The head of the Malang chapter of the SPBI, Lutfi Chafid, said he regretted the incident and criticized the police for interfering in a dispute between workers and their employer.

"This is a crime against workers. We are only fighting for our rights," Lutfi said.