PT Inco?s production target on track despite strike

JSX-listed nickel miner PT International Nickel Indonesia (Inco) said that this year's production remained on track despite a strike at the company's mine in South Sulawesi.

"Although the strike is still ongoing, we will deliver what we promised to the shareholders by achieving our annual production target of 165 million pounds of nickel in matte this year," Inco?s President Director Arif S. Siregar said Friday.

The strike at the Inco nickel mine in Soroako had disrupted operations, but the impact had not been as bad as expected, he said.

He said that between 100 and 200 workers remained on strike at the company's mine, where they were demanding a bigger share of profits.

He said that the workers who had walked off the job represented only a small part of the company's workforce, which comprised 3,500 permanent workers and 3,500 casual workers.

The company?s processing plant in Soroako has the capacity to process 150 million tons of nickel ore a year. (*)