KPC says labor strike nearing end
Wednesday, May 9 2001 - 04:30 AM WIB
Coal mining company PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC), which operates a giant coalmine in Sangatta, East Kalimantan, said the labor strike, which had been troubling the company for several months, would soon come to an end.
"There are signs that the labor strike will soon end," company spokesman Bambang Susanto told Petromindo.Com on Wednesday.
He said many of the protesting workers of its subcontractor PT Liebherr had resumed works but some of them were still camping in front of KPC's workshop, holding on to one shovel belonging to KPC.
The protesting workers, who were demanding better pay, seized several shovels owned by KPC at the peak of their protest in February and March, forcing the company to cut its output up to 50 percent.
Bambang said KPC now can produce 40,000 tons per day as against its normal output of 50,000 tons per day.
KPC is equally owned by Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto and Anglo-American energy giant Beyond Petroleum (BP). (Godang)