Caltex backs off job offers

Caltex Pacific Indonesia (CPI) yesterday appeared to renege on its promise to give jobs to unskilled workers in order to end several blockades at the oil company's operations in Bengkalis, Riau province.

Caltex on Monday agreed to employ 75 people from Sungai Rangau village who had been holding the company virtual hostage and forced it to stop production.

Poedyo Oetomo, head of public relations at CPI, said the company had been given no other choice but to promise it would employ the locals as security staff. "In the negotiations, our team had been deliberating under threats that forced us to agree," he told Antara.

During the week prior to the negotiations, the villagers had seized 5 rigs and 37 vehicles in an effort to pressure the company to employ them in the oil drilling activities.

Overseen by the local security authorities, the negotiations concluded with the agreement that CPI would employ 75 villagers to help with security. Poedyo reiterated the agreement had been given under duress. "We were under pressure during the meeting, so we canceled the resulting agreement. We will renegotiate to resolve the problem."

He said the company would like to continue further negotiations under a pressure-free situation. "We are ready to talk and to cooperate under a cool-headed situation.

Poedyo said CPI would consider the villagers' demand to be employed, so long as the recruitment process abides by the standard procedures adopted by the company. (*)