Freeport employees plan to extend strike to Dec. 15

WWorkers Union members of PT Freeport Indonesia, a subsidiary of the US gold and copper giant company Freeport McMoRan, plan to extend their strike for another month if their demand on salary hike is not met by the company, Kompas daily reported.

Virgo Salosa, the head of Freeport Workers Union said the union has sent letter to Freeport management on November 3, as well as to Mimika Regency government and Mimika Resort Police over their plan to extend the strike. They plan to extend the strike, which began on September 15, to December 15.

?If until November 15, 2011, the management does not accept our demand, the strike will be extended,? he said.

The workers have also closed the access road to Freeport?s mining site.

The workers are asking the Freeport board to raise the workers? salary stated in the Mutual Work Agreement (PKB) for 2011-2013. However, the board is yet to agree on the workers? demand.

Freeport?s spokesperson, Ramdhani Sirait, said the extension of the strike is workers? right. However, the management is asking the workers not to blockade road access to Freeport mining site as it has disrupted the mining?s operation.

?The company still opens its arm to continue the dialogue with the workers. At the same time, the management is ready to attend the industrial relation court which has been begun,? said Ramdhani.

Stefanus Branco, Media Relation officer of PT Freeport Indonesia, said the management has proposed salary hike for Freeport workers by 35 percent from their current wage.

This means their wage would increase by a range of Rp4.4 million to Rp7.4 million. However, the workers demand salary hike by between Rp6.2 million to Rp28 million. (*)