Protester killed in Indonesia mine strike

One person killed and a dozen wounded after pay protest at Grasberg gold and copper mine turns violent
Workers at Freeport-McMoran's huge Grasberg mine in Timika, Papua province, are striking over pay
Workers at Freeport-McMoran's Grasberg mine in Timika, Papua province, are striking over pay, claiming they get only 10% what the firm pays miners in other countries. Photograph: AP

Indonesian security forces shot and killed one protester and wounded more than a dozen others as they clashed with striking workers at a mine run by US company Freeport-McMoran, the police said.

More than 1,000 workers were involved in the clashes at the Grasberg complex, one of the world's largest gold and copper mines, in the remote Papua province.

Two trucks en route to the mining town of Timika from a nearby port were set on fire by employees after they learned that Freeport-McMoran planned to bring in replacement workers and move them into their barracks. Smoke billowed into the air and caused flight delays at the nearby airport.

Workers at the Grasberg mine began the strike on 15 September to demand that their pay, which ranges from $2.10 to $3.50 (£1.34 to £2.24) an hour, be increased to up to $43 an hour. About 90% of the mine's 12,000 employees have been taking part in the walkout.

Grasberg has frequently seen protests over wages, with workers claiming they are paid 10% of what Freeport-McMoran pays its miners in other countries.

The company, which has come under fire in recent years for paying millions of dollars to Indonesian military and police to provide security, has also been the target of demonstrations because of alleged pollution and the unfair distribution of profits.

Union leader Manuel Maniambo said thousands of workers were trying to prevent replacement staff from travelling by bus to the mine. Others were upset after hearing their barracks, with their belongings still inside, had been taken over.

When blocked by security forces, the miners became angry, throwing rocks and yelling insults. The troops responded with gunfire, killing one worker and sending another to hospital in critical condition, Maniambo added.

A Papua police spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Wachyono, said at least 11 other people were hurt, including six officers. He blamed the striking workers, saying security forces had no choice but to fire warning shots after they became violent. "It was complete anarchy ... they were attacking the police," said Wachyono, who like many Indonesians goes by only one name.

Freeport-McMoran, based in Phoenix, Arizona, released a statement saying strikers were to blame. The company said they had blocked roads, intimidated replacement workers and their families, as well as employees at bus terminals and barracks in recent weeks.

"We are continuing to work with the local police to deal with these acts of intimidation so that our workers located in Timika can exercise their rights to return to work if they so desire," it said. "The individuals responsible for these illegal acts of aggression should be held accountable."

This is the second strike this year at the Grasberg mine. Workers staged an eight-day walkout in July over low wages and the dismissal of union leaders. The action slashed the company's revenue by £19m a day, analysts said.