Kideco?s contractors in row with workers

Three coalmining contractors of PT Kideco Jaya Agung, PT Thiess Contractor, PT Daehae Rodamas and PT Samindo Utama Kaltim, have been in row with their workers over overtime payment, a Kideco official said Monday.

Kideco?s general affairs manager Ali Patan told Petromindo.com Monday that the row stemmed from the differences of interpreting overtime compensation components between contractors and their workers.

Ali said the dispute had been going for several months and that both parties had agreed to solve their dispute with the mediation of the director general of manpower supervision of the ministry of manpower.

However, the workers, who were mostly members of Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union had demanded that the minister of manpower himself help end the dispute, Ali said. The minister had agreed to summon the conflicting parties in October 11, he added.

Ali said thus far the row had not significantly disrupted Kideco?s production activities although Thiess? workers had gone on strike for three days last month.

?Thus far, Kideco is operating normally. But if this dispute prolongs, Kideco?s production activities might be disrupted,? he said.

Wholly owned by owned by Sam Tan Co Ltd., Kideco runs a coalmine in Pasir regency in East Kalimantan and has planned to produce 9.5 million tons of coal this year. (alex)