Jakarta – Thousands of workers of PT Freeport Indonesia, the local unit of US giant mining corporation Freeport McMoran Copper & Gold Inc., claim that the strike they began on Monday is limiting the company's production by 90 percent.

About 8,000 workers of Freeport Indonesia, most of whom work in the production unit, launched the proposed one week strike in protest against the recent firing of six of their former colleagues.

They are also demanding a pay rise from US$1.50 per hour to $3 per hour, saying they are paid very low compared with their counterparts working for other units of Freeport McMoran, who receive, on average, $15 per hour.

"Production isn't at full capacity at the moment. Before our strike, it was at full capacity: 100 percent. But during the strike nearly all production activities have ceased; perhaps leaving only 10 percent still functioning," Virgo Solossa, an executive at Freeport Indonesia labor union, said Tuesday as quoted by kontan.co.id.

Freeport Indonesia spokesman Ramdhani Sirait admitted that the strike was disrupting production activities, but added other operational activities, including shipping, were running as normal.