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Jayapura. Some 13,000 Freeport Indonesia workers went on strike on Monday at its mine in Papua, while a group representing native Papuan workers urged its members to go back to their jobs.

According to workers taking part in the strike, people left mining areas at Mile 68 and 78 and marched toward the company’s administrative headquarters in Kuala Kencana, at Mile 38, to demand better wages.

“There are about 8,000 workers who have left the mine area for Kuala Kencana to join together to launch a strike to demand improvement in our welfare,” said Airan Koibor, one of the protesting workers.

He said the group was joined by another 5,000 workers who were picketing at the Freeport headquarters’ gate.

“We have not been allowed to enter Kuala Kencana by the security force led directly by the head of the Mimika district police,” he said on Monday. “We will return [Tuesday] morning.”

Mimika’s district police chief, Adj. Sr. Comr. Deny Siregar, meanwhile, said the strike had been peaceful.

According to Airan, most of the workers had disbanded by dusk.

Freeport spokesman Ramdani Sirait said the company had made efforts to negotiate with the labor union but had difficulties with their leadership.

“The company is trying to communicate with union leaders and the workers, and has called on the workers to return to work while this problem is being settled so as to prevent an adverse impact on the company and its workers,” he said.

Ramdani said that the company would only negotiate with appointed union leaders to resolve the matter.

The strike, however, had not yet affected shipments of gold, copper and silver concentrates produced by the company, Ramdani claimed.

Sources in Timika said the union was experiencing a leadership crisis, with multiple factions vying for control.

They said the head of the Freeport chapter of the All-Indonesian Workers Trade Union (SPSI), Sudiro, had been suspended by the SPSI’s provincial executive board, which accused him of violating the organization’s bylaws.

Airan said Sudiro and five other members of the Freeport workers’ union had been arbitrarily dismissed last month for planning the strike. The five others were identified as Juli Parorongan, Virgo Solossa, Supardiyanto, Karolus Kameubun and Obet Lobo.

Airan said workers from the company’s Grasberg mine, its underground operations and in Tembagapura began their strike early on Monday.

“There is no company activity because all workers coming under the SPSI-FI have gone on strike and are heading to Kuala Kencana,” he said.

Tongoi Papua, an organization representing native Papuans employed at Freeport, called on the protestors to continue working and not be swayed by the union to take part in the industrial action.

“A meeting of the central executive board, chapter boards and the Tongoi Papua field coordinators has come out with a decision: That Tongoi Papua is neutral and impartial,” said Tongoi’s chairman, Frans Pigome.

“The neutrality of Tongoi means workers should continue to carry out their duties and responsibilities and not leave their work sites, not heed calls or provocations leading to a strike.”

Tongoi, which has organized several mass strike actions against Freeport in the past, said it was instead supporting negotiations between company management and the union.

The parties must agree on a new two-year joint work cooperation agreement, or PKB, which is to come into effect in October.