KPC protesting employees withdraw from mining site
Company resumes production
Monday, July 10 2000 - 03:30 AM WIB
The protesting employees of East Kalimantan coal giant PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) finally pulled out on Saturday from the company's mining sites and key facilities allowing KPC to resume production, the Kompas daily reported.
Sangatta Regent Awang Faroek said that the withdrawal was part of a four-point agreement reached between the protesting employees and the KPC management.
Awang said that the protesting employees would move their demonstration to other areas.
He also said that both the protesters and the company management would resume negotiation on Tuesday, and that the two conflicting sides had appointed the regent to become mediator.
The decision followed a softening attitude by KPC management on Friday to continue providing health care and education facilities to the family of the protesting employees, and to withhold the company's decision to fire 66 of the protesting employees.
Awang said that the withdrawal had allowed KPC to resume production since Saturday evening, and two ships were ready to transport coal to the overseas buyers.
Some 200 employees out of KPC's more than 2000 employees had staged a demonstration since June 14 including by controlling certain key facilities and road blockade causing the company to be unable to make production and transport coal to the local port.
The employees staged the demonstration to demand, among other things, a higher salary. (*)