Hundreds of Caltex's security guards stage protests

At least 250 security guards under employment agreements with PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia staged a unique protest on Monday against the company's plan to appoint a contractor to take care security at the company sites.

They protested the company's plan in a ceremony held at Caltex's south main office. The ceremony was presided by Caltex Vice President for General Affairs AH Batubara, who symbolically received a petition from the security guards' representatives.

In their petition, read out by Ruslan, a security guard at Minas district, the security guards voiced concerned over the company's plan to contract security company PT Nawakara Perkasa Nusantara to provide security protection to Caltex employees and facilities.

"If this plans goes ahead, it will serve as a bad precedence for us," the petition said.

The plan would transfer the control of security guards from Caltex under the employment agreement to the contractor. And this, according to the protesting security guards, would not benefit them. They accused Caltex of avoiding responsibility in providing welfare to security guards by adopting the contract system. (*)