Hundreds of Sinar Baru mining workers stage protest

Around 200 mining workers employed by coal mining services company PT Sinar Baru Wijaya Perkasa (SBWP) staged on Monday a rally in Merapi Barat District, Lahat, South Sumatra, in protest of the company?s decision to lay off one worker without providing severance payment, a local report said.

Sripoku.com reported on Tuesday that the rally has halted the coal mining operations of SBWP in Lahat. Local labor leader Erwin (one name), the workers have staged the protest since Friday. He said that the company has violated existing regulation for not providing severance payment to the cut off worker.

According to Erwin, the company has argued that it did not lay off the worker, but his contract had expired, which was not extended by the company.

SBWP could not be reached for comment. The coal mining contractor has a production rate of 1 million tons per year, according to its website. (*)