KPC security officers demand severance pay

Security officers at East Kalimantan coal mining giant PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) demand the company to provide severance pay if they would be dismissed, the local Jaya Post daily reported.

The paper said that the security officers demanded between Rp 126.5 million-Rp 330.8 million (US$1=Rp 8,500) each according to the existing government regulation. The paper did not say the number of the KPC security officers.

The demand was made following rumors that the recent employment of U.S.-based Group of Four security firm was made to gradually dismiss the KPC security officers without the company having to pay compensation.

"We can be dismissed, but KPC must pay compensation," said one security officer.

The Group of Four now handles the security of KPC, while the local security officers had been transferred to other section. (*)