PT Inco workers continue to strike

Thousands of workers of publicly listed nickel miner PT International Nickel Indonesia (Inco) entered the sixth day of their strike in Soroako, South Sulawesi, on Tuesday.

The workers were demanding a higher share in profits and promotions for local workers, threatening the country?s largest nickel producer?s operations.

Chairman of the Inco Workers Union Andi Karman said the workers decided to strike after collective bargaining with the management since last May failed to produce a resolution.

?The industrial strike is our last resort; to pressure the management into bowing down to our demands and it will continue until our demands are fulfilled,? he told The Jakarta Post by telephone. Andi said workers had the right to receive bigger bonuses following the company?s high profit in this year?s first two quarters, which was in line with rising itiekel prices on the world market.

?We have demanded a 50-percent bonus increase in the first semester from the current, 25 percent,? he said.

Inco spokesman Jannus Siahaan said his company could not meet the protesters? demands because they were not regulated in the company?s collective labor agreement and the 2003 Labor Law.

?The management has shown its strong commitment to profit-sharing by improving workers? welfare, but it is impossible for the management to negotiate matters that are not regulated either in the Labor Law nor the collective labor agreement,? he said.

He said the strike had affected the company?s production but declined to specify by how much.

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