Over 100 workers of BCM not paid for 4 months

Over one hundred workers of South Kalimantan-based coal miner PT Bentala Coal Mining (BCM) have not got paid since January as the company management keeps saying it is not for BCM to pay them, local daily Banjarmasin Post reported on Tuesday.

Some workers had asked the company management about the payment delay, but so far they had not got any response, the newspaper said.

Dozens of BCM?s workers in January staged a protest at the Hulu Sungai Utara regency legislative council, asking it to press the firm for provide them with better working facilities. The company operates coal mines in the regency.

But it was not clear whether the workers? action had incited BCM to delay payment for them. BCM director Ginting only said the workers were employees of its contractor PT Surya Andalas Corp (SAC), thus SAC was held responsible for the payment delay.

Meanwhile, the head of Hulu Sungai Utara?s manpower office, Noor Ifansyah, said they would help settle the labor dispute at BCM.

BCM is owned by local investors with production level of around 200,000 tons annually. (*)