PetroChina?s Papua workers to give final answer soon

Papua workers of China?s energy company PetroChina are expected to give the company management a clear answer in a few days on whether or not to stay with the company, Neraca daily reported on Wednesday.

They were former employees of US energy company Devon Energy, which early this year sold to PetroChina its working interest in the Salawati oil block in Sorong, Papua.

The workers had agreed with the Devon management on three options namely receive severance pay in full and quit the company with possibility of being reemployed by PetroChina after undergoing an entry test; receive 50 percent severance pay and continue working with PetroChina; and receive no severance pay.

?Some of the workers have chosen to receive 100 percent severance pay. But we could get complete information about the workers? decision in several days,? Sidick Nitikusuma, general affairs senior manager of state oil and gas company Pertamina, told Neraca on Tuesday.

Sidick said most employees with enough experience preferred the first option because they feel quite certain that they would be reemployed considering the difficulty to recruit new workers with their qualifications.

Devon?s workers at Salawati Block in Sorong, Papua, had demanded for ?transitional? compensation for the transfer to PetroChina of Devon?s working interest in the Salawati block. They went on strike on April 25 after the Devon management turned down their demand, and returned to work two weeks later. (*)