Caltex employees rally to protest new working schedule

At leas 50 employees of the Riau-based Caltex Pacific Indonesia rallied in front of the oil giant?s main office in Duri on Tuesday to protest the new working schedules adopted by the company, Riau Post reported on Thursday.

During the rally, which only lasted for about 15 minutes, the oil company?s employees demanded the withdrawal of the new working schedules which according to them had severely cut their earnings.

The company changed the working schedules beginning to April 1 to boost its efficiency but the workers said that the new schedules had significantly cut their income due to the removal of overtime allowance. The workers previously worked for 12 hours for 10 days with 5 days off or 10-5 system. With the new schedule they have to work for eight hours for 5 days with 2 days off.

The working schedules affect all the workers posed in the company?s vital operations in exploration, production and processing activities. The workers previously threatened to go on strike, if Caltex refused to continue with the new working schedules. (*)