Govt forms special team to resolve Vico blockade

The government has formed a special team to resolve the road blockade made by the protesting employees of the sub contractors of oil and gas firm PT Vico Indonesia, director general of oil and gas Rachmat Sudibyo said Friday.

Rachmat said that the team included not only officials from the ministry of energy and mineral resources, but also involved the ministry of labor affairs, local administration and the Police.

He said that the team was formed in a bid to quickly resolve the above problem so that it would not disrupt Vico's production process.

Hundreds of employees have resumed their protest since Tuesday by blockading the main access road of Vico's operation in Muara Badak, Kutai regency in East Kalimantan. The protesters were backed up by the SBSI labor union. The protesters demanded, among others, a higher salary.

The road blockade may lead to the temporary shut down of Vico's operation because employees have felt threatened by the protesters and the supply of foods and other logistics into the operation has been disrupted by the blockade, Vico officials said.

Separately, the East Kalimantan Kaltim Post daily reported that some 29 youth organizations demanded the eviction of the SBSI labor union from the province because it has often created instability in the area through the various protest demonstration it organized.

In a joint statement, the youth organizations said Friday that the SBSI demonstration often being conducted by blockading company assets and infrastructure, which would only cause the region and the people to suffer huge losses. (Godang Sitompul)