Protesting employee at Vico shot in leg

A protesting employee at oil and gas firm PT Vico Indonesia in Muara Badak, East Kalimantan, was shot in his right leg late on Thursday, according to the local Kaltim Post daily.

The employee, identified as Agus Suhartono (23 years old), is now being hospitalized in the Wahap Sjahranie Hospital in Samarinda.

Agus said that he was unsure who made the shot.

Supardi, Agus colleague confirmed that there had been gun shots but it was not clear who opened fire and from which direction. He said there was a minor clash with security officers. "One or two of us might have involved in physical clash with the security personnel. But there was no widespread clash," he said.

Employees of sub contractors of Vico who are grouped in the SBSI labor union had staged a protest since August 2 demanding among other things a higher salary. But in their protest, they blockaded the main road to Vico Muara Badak operation. Some also fear that the protest is putting a danger to Vico important facility.

"If the important facility explodes, Muara Badak will be flat," Vico Indonesia external manager Sjaiful Rahman was quoted by Kaltim Post as saying.

Rahman said that Vico is proposing a meeting with the protesting employees, the sub contractors and local administration officials to immediately resolve the problem and end the protest.

He also said that the road blockade by the protesting employees has started to inhibit the working schedule of Vico own employees. (*)