Coal mining faces protest from local people demanding jobs

Coal mining company PT Anugerah Bara Kaltim (ABK) has been hit by protest from the people of the Bakungan and Purwajaya villages in Loa Janan sub district, East Kalimantan, demanding the company to employ more local people, the Kaltim Post daily reported on Monday.

The paper did not describe the scale or the impact of the protest on the company's production.

But the paper quoted ABK personnel manager Markus Sagani as saying that the company could not hire too many workers because it was using mechanical heavy equipments in its mining operation.

Markus said that the company now employs around 180 workers mostly skilled workers. He said that the company and its contractor John Holland might only need around 56 additional workers.

Markus said that over the past four months the company had recruited local people on a non-permanent basis, paid daily for civil work.

He said that the company was planning to improve the environment of the local villages particularly to develop a pipeline to supply clean water to the villagers. He said that the villagers had earlier complained that the water from the local river could no longer be used for drinking or washing.

He added that the company was also planning to plant various trees in the area for improving the environment. He said that the company would hire the local people for the project.(*)