KPC employees end blockade
Monday, July 24 2000 - 04:00 AM WIB
The protesting employees of East Kalimantan coal giant PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) ended their strike on Saturday following a visit by chairman of the SBSI labor union Muchtar Pakpahan, according to the local Kaltim Post daily.
Muchtar visited the Sangatta area to explain to the protesting employees the results of the recent meeting in Jakarta with KPC top management.
The protesting employees also ended their blockade on company key facilities, allowing KPC to resume production.
Representatives of the protesting employees would continue negotiation with KPC to settle their demands.
Hundreds of KPC employees who are grouped in the SBSI labor union have held a strike since June 14 including by taking over certain production facilities, causing the company to be unable to make production. The employees demanded higher salary and other benefits.
The blockade was ended on June 25 after they agreed to negotiate with the KPC management, but the employees resumed the blockade again after negotiation came to a deadlock.
The representatives of the protesting employees reached an agreement in Jakarta last week with KPC top management to end strike and blockade. The agreement was also signed by Muchtar and witnessed by senior top government officials. But the protesting employees continued their strike and blockade, and demanded Muchtar to come by himself to Sangatta to explain to them the result of the agreement. (*)