Mines minister suspects foreign NOG involved in KPC conflicts,
He wants KPC problems be discussed at Cabinet meeting
Friday, August 18 2000 - 04:00 AM WIB
Minister of Mines and Energy Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday called on the National Police to investigate the role of foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the prolonged conflict in coal miner PT Kaltim Prima Coal and said that the problems should be discussed and decided at the next Cabinet meeting.
"So far, we encourage the management of KPC, the local administration to solve KPC problems by themselves. However, because there are indications that outside party, foreign NGOs, is involved in the conflict, I ask (the police) to investigate it," he said after attending the 55th independence anniversary celebration at his office.
He said that the foreign party, the NGOs, did not want to see a good settlement in the prolonged conflicts between the management of KPC and the striking employees.
He said if the police could prove their involvement, the government must give strong penalties against them.
Susilo Bambang said earlier on Wednesday that the conflicts in KPC should be discussed and settled at the next Cabinet meeting, so that it would not go on without clear settlement on sight.
He said both parties - the management and the employees - stick to their positions and this complicated the negotiations. The management did not want to withdraw their warning letters to the striking employees, while the employees wanted the letters be withdrawn.
Susilo Bambang called on all parties to refrain from using violence to achieve their goals because such actions would only worsen the investment climate and legal certainty in the country.
He said the problem in KPC was actually beyond his responsibilities because it deals with industrial relations, and not anymore dealing with mining issues. Thus, this matter should go to the minister of manpower.
But Minister of Manpower Bomer Pasaribu said that the problems in KPC originated from industrial relations, but now had expanded into other matters and therefore beyond his office's responsibilities.
He said what happens now is beyond what has been agreed in the agreement between KPC management and the Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union (SBSI). And therefore, he called on all parties concerned to help settle the problems. (*)