Hundreds of workers holds rally at CPI?s Minas site

By Febry Silaban

Hundreds of subcontract workers of PT Chevron Pacific Indonesia (CPI) held rally on Friday, blocking access to the Minas field in Riau in protests over layoffs.

SKK Migas' Chief Representative for northern Sumatra Supriyono told Petromindo.com that the protest was organized by a labor group called the All-Indonesia Workers Union (SBSI).

The workers have been held protests for two days now, first on Thursday in Rumbai and then on Friday in Minas. The protest in Rumbai involved 300 people while the protest in Minas involved 350 people.

Another official of SKK Migas for northern Sumatra, Rusdy Hanif, explained that police officers led by the area?s police chief have been deployed to the location to prevent the protest from turning unruly.

The protestors threatened to forcibly suspend production activities unless CPI agrees to hire back dozens of workers that have been laid off by the company?s sub-contractor.

"We will convey our aspirations to Chevron. One of them is that around 82 employees that have been laid off by one of CPI?s sub-contractor should be hired back," one of the protesters, Sohib, said.

Supriyono said the 82 workers who lost their jobs were employed by a subcontractor who failed in the recent tender for housing maintenance held by CPI. CPI now hires a different subcontractor.

?The fact is that CPI has replaced its subcontractor because the old one failed in the tender. The contractor of the previous subcontractor ended on Sept. 30, 2015. It has been replaced by the tender winner,? Supriyono said.

The old subcontractor is PT Surya Mulia Gita Graha (SMGG), while the new one is PT Beasco.

According to Supriyono, Beasco has given chances for the employees of SMGG to move to the firm so that they may continue working at CPIs projects. It sent letters to SMGG workers for interview but the letters got no response. Beasco then decided to hire workers from outside SMGG.

Supriyono said production at CPI remains normal despite the protests.

Meawhile, CPI Corporate Communications Manager Dony Indrawan said CPI has no right to interfere with the problem.

?CPI has no right to interfere with the internal problems of its business partners. Still, CPI will assure our business partners to provide service in line with their contracts and follow the existing regulations,? Dony said, while expressing hopes that all problems can be resolved the peaceful way and all parties come to the best solution.

Editing by Johannes Simbolon