Road blockade ends, KEM resumes operation Monday

Protesters blockading a road leading to gold mining sites of PT Kelian Equatorial Mining (KEM) in East Kalimantan ended their action Sunday, thus allowing the company to continue receiving necessary goods from other places, the company said Monday.

?We were informed by the police Sunday that the road blockade in Tutung had ended. KEM will resume its normal activities on Monday (today),? its said in a statement made available to Petromindo.Com.

A small group of people from villages near KEM?s mining projects in West Kutai, East Kalimantan, had since last Thursday blockaded a road leading to the projects. Their action ended Sunday.

?The road blockade has forced KEM to scale back its operations and suspend all non-critical activities. KEM employees, mostly locals, are working reduced hours,? KEM president director Charlie Lenagan said last week.

KEM said Monday that its ex-workers had been behind the road blockade.

The ex-workers had demanded additional amounts for their contract termination payment, which the company management had actually agreed to pay.

KEM currently has around 900 permanent workers and 1,000 contract employees, mostly locals. (leo)