Freeport hit by workers problem again, halting operation

Freeport?s gold mine in Papua has stopped operation since February 23, 2012, because of what its spokesperson claims as ?intimidation? on the field.

About two months after resuming operation following a three-month production-crippling strike, PT Freeport Indonesia spokesperson Ramdani Sirait said the company has to again temporarily stop operation as there are disturbances caused by some of the returning workers.

?A number of workers who returned to work are intimidating other groups of workers, including supervisors, who did not participate in the past strike,? Ramdani said as reported by detik.com today.

Ramdani added that the firm was intensively communicating this issue with the workers? union and local government to find a solution.

Production at the huge mine controlled by US energy giant Freeport-McMoRan had just returned to normal in late December after an agreement was reached between the workers? union and the company to resolve the three-month strike.(*)