Kideco threatens to fire protesting employees
Tuesday, February 13 2001 - 04:30 AM WIB
The management of coal mining company PT Kideco Jaya Agung in East Kalimantan threatened to fire its protesting employees if they fail to immediately return to work, the Kaltim Post daily reported on Tuesday.
The paper said that Kideco had issued a company statement signed by mine development director Ha Myung Sik.
The statement said that the company would dismiss its employees who have not worked for five consecutive days without any clear reasons that can be justified.
The company said that the sanction was in accordance with the ruling of the ministry of labor affairs.
The company also said that it would not pay the salary of its employees who have not done their job.
Thousands of Kideco employees in the Batu Sopang area in Pasir regency had staged a peaceful demonstration since last week demanding better salary. The high profile SBSI labor union organized the demonstration.
Meanwhile, Kaltim Post also said that several youth and non-governmental organizations in the regency called on SBSI not to provoke Kideco employees to hold demonstration that could create instability in the area. The paper quoted the organizations as saying that SBSI had the reputation of creating unrest through labor demonstration as evidence in other areas of the province such as in Sangatta and Muara Badak.(*)