Freeport management and workers meet in Jakarta

Management of PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI), the subsdiary of American mining giant Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold, and the representatives of protesting employees would negotiate in Jakarta on various labor issues after reaching an agreement over the weekend on salary increases.

 

Togoi Papua, which groups Papuan workers at PTFI, is sending its chairman Frans Pigome together with workers'  representatative Thomas Karotaba to Jakarta to negoitiate with the management on the rights of employees, salary and issues related to workers, the labor group's vice chairman Silas Natkimo was quoted by Kontan as saying on Monday. 

 

The negotiation may take around three months, he said, adding that the results of the agreement would be spelt out in a  collective working agreement.

 

Freeport earlier agreed on the demand from the Papuan workers to increase the salary of its lowest grade workers  to between Rp 3.1 million and Rp 3.6 million per month. The company also agreed to establish the Papuan Affairs Department that will handle all issues related to Papuan workers. 

 

The company’s Spokesperson Mindo Pangaribuan confirmed that the management will meet with the workers' representatives in Jakarta. "The gathering would discuss issues related to Freeport employee in two years to come,” he added. (*)