Timika, Papua – Hundreds of workers at heavy equipment maker PT Trakindo Utama staged a protest at the Timika Transmigration and Manpower Agency office on Tuesday.

The workers demanded the agency withdraw a letter issued on April 15 preventing them from striking.

Jeremi Kumbubuy, head of PT Trakindo's labor union, said because of the letter, the company had fired 21 workers and issued final reprimand letters to 700 workers for going on strike from April 18 to 23 to demand a salary increase.

Kumbubuy said the workers would stay for three days in the agency's compound until their demands were met. If the agency failed to do so, he added, the workers would stop working indefinitely.

Galib Yamco, another union leader, said the agency did not have the authority to prevent workers from staging a strike.

Agency head Nikalous Mambor denied Trakindo's reprimand letters were issued based on his agency's letter preventing workers from striking.