Petrosea to soon negotiate with former workers

As many as 16 former workers of mining contractor PT Petrosea Tbk are scheduled to negotiate with the management of the publicly listed company on January 22 to resolve their dispute, East Kalimantan-based Kaltim Post daily reported Saturday.

The 16 people marched to West Kutai regency council on Thursday and Friday asking council members to press Petrosea to accept their demand. In their meeting, council chairman Y Juan Jenan promised to facilitate a meeting on January 22 between the protesters and Petrosea?s executives.

The former workers had opposed the company management?s plan to lay them off late last year. Other 39 workers had accepted the company?s decision and had received severance pay.

They had also demanded that the company management increase their salaries in accordance with existing government regulations.

The people had worked at PT Gunung Bayan Pratama?s coal mining site in Jempang district in West Kutai, East Kalimantan. (*)