Protesting employees at Vico agree to resort to negotiation

The protesting employees of the sub contractors of oil and gas firm PT Vico in Muara Badak, East Kalimantan province, agreed to end their strike and resort to a negotiation over the various demands including a raise in salary, the local Kaltim Post daily reported.

The paper said that the agreement was reached at a meeting on Wednesday between the protesting employees and Vico.

The SBSI labor union also attended the meeting, while Vico was represented by its spokesman Hasanuddin Rahman. The meeting was organized by the local FKPMT community grouping.

Kaltim Post said that hundreds of the protesting employees attended the meeting causing the meeting room in the local Bumi Senyiur Hotel to be overcrowded.

The protesting employees initially demanded the Vico and the sub contractors to send their key people with power to make decision to the upcoming meeting. But Hasanuddin said that the demand could not be fulfilled.

The protesting employees, grouped in the SBSI labor union, had staged a strike since early this month. During their strike and demonstration held at Vico's complex, the protesting employees blockaded the main access road to Vico. But recently they agreed to end the blockade. (*)