KPC suffers Rp 2.8b financial losses
Wednesday, June 21 2000 - 02:45 AM WIB
The Pemuda Pancasila youth organization in East Kutai regency, East Kalimantan, said in its press statement that the coal giant firm PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) had to suffer some Rp 2.8 billion in financial losses per day due to the strike and demonstration held by some of its employees which disrupted production process.
The organization didn't explain how it could reach to the above conclusion.
The youth organization appealed to the protesters to negotiate peacefully with the company through a proper mechanism. It also said that the existence of KPC was crucial to the local economy.
Some KPC employees had staged a demonstration for a week now demanding a better salary and welfare package. The protesters had controlled conveyor belt and other facilities causing disruption in the production process.
KPC has yet to give official statement over the protest.
But sources said that KPC wouldn't negotiate with the protesters as long as production process continued to be disrupted and they're being backed up by people from outside the company.
Meanwhile, informal leaders in Sangatta also appealed to the protesters to end their demonstration which would only cause losses to the local community.
The leaders gave the protesters until Thursday or the demonstrators would risk "cultural" sanction. (*)