Gunung Bayan accused of breaking promise to recruit locals
Wednesday, October 9 2002 - 03:44 AM WIB
East Kalimantan villagers are still awaiting coal miner PT Gunung Bayan Pratama Coal (GBPC) to fulfill its promise of giving priority to local people to work at its projects in the area, local daily Kaltim Post reported on Wednesday.
They said that before starting operation in 1996 in Muhur Blusuh village, which is located in West Kutai regency, East Kalimantan, the company management had said that at least 80 percent of its workers would be recruited from the village.
In reality, only five percent of GBPC?s current employees were from Muhur Blusuh, village head Sermai said.
Sermai said he and other village leaders had filed complaints to GBPC leaders, but so far it had given no response.
He feared that local villagers would resort to violence if the firm did not fulfill their demand. (*)