REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, TIMIKA -- PT. Freeport Indonesia has fired 178 of its workers for failing to report to work since starting mass strike on May Day on May 1. 

Head of the Mimika Labor Office Septinus Soumilena said the workers were dismissed as they chose to continue the mass strike organized by the local trade union. 

Somilena said the management of PT Freeport had nullified the identity cards of the 178 workers and closed their bank accounts. They would received only a severance pay as much as their basic salary of Rp13 million-Rp16 million.

Soumilena said according to Freeport, the 178 workers did have bad records when they were still active. The company management had served them warnings, the first, second, etc. but the refused to pay attention. 

"If they joined the strikers only because they were under intimidation the management would welcome them to return," he said. 

He said currently there were around 2,700 workers joining in the strike not including workers of Freeport's contractors.

Somilena said he feared the longer the strike, more workers would lose their jobs. 

Earlier, the local trade union said they would continue to be on the strike until the end of this month in protest of dismissal of a number of their members. 

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