Beijing, Oct 12 (PTI) In a rare display of anger, hundreds of migrant workers in a southwest Chinese city today blocked a highway, protesting a brutal assault by the staff of a private company in a wage-dispute that resulted in the death of one of their co-workers.

Police in southwest China”s Dujiangyan city dispersed nearly 1,000 people who blocked a highway after a wage dispute left one person dead and another wounded, state-run Xinhua reported.

Around 300 migrant workers gathered early today to protest at a highway exit leading to Dujiangyan, capital of Sichuan Province, police in Chengdu said.

The protesting workers carried funeral wreaths and banners calling for justice for the two victims.

Some 700 onlookers also joined the crowd of workers and then clashed with the police.

More than 1,000 police officers were dispatched to the scene to keep order.

Lei Yong and Liao Xinglong — two construction workers went to their employer – Jiaxun Labor Service Company – at around 5 p m yesterday to claim their unpaid wages.

A fight then ensued and Lei and Liao were severely beaten by the company staff.

While Lei died in the hospital last evening, Liao is in the hospital in stable condition, the report said.

Shortly after Lei”s death, hundreds of his co-workers blocked Erhuan Road in Dujiangyan City.

The furious workers clashed with police and toppled a police vehicle.

They dispersed after two of the five suspects were detained by police, but later resumed their blockade with more people, a few hours later.

The crowd, however, dispersed and traffic resumed at around noon after Li Kunxue, chief of the Chengdu Public Security Bureau, promised protesters that the criminals would be punished according to law and that unpaid wages would be paid.

Search is on for the other three suspects, it said.

Such protests are rare in China where workers generally fear a crackdown.

China has witnessed labour unrest in recent months with workers in several plants, specially in top auto companies like Honda and Toyota going on spontaneous strikes demanding higher wages.

To stem the spread of the unrest, the government increased minimum wages while several private companies have worked out wage agreements registering a sharp increase in labour costs.