Thiess? ex-workers, company leaders to resume talks soon

Representatives of 171 ex-workers of Australian mining contractor Thiess Contractors Indonesia (TCI) have been scheduled to meet with company leaders on November 11 in order to settle their protracted dispute, East Kalimantan-based Kaltim Post daily reported on Saturday.

Also attending the meeting will be East Kalimantan provincial legislative council (DPRD) members, provincial government officials and representatives of Pasir regency administration. Members of the House of Representatives (DR) and officials from the Ministry of Manpower will also participate in the meeting.

Provincial council vice chairman Khairul Fuad said they were trying to find a win-win solution over the labor dispute between the 171 workers and TCI.

Last year, TCI fired the workers after they refused to return to work in protest of the company?s disagreement to give them extra pay for doing 12 hours of work per day.

The ex-workers insisted that their layoff had been illegal, and had continued to demand TCI to pay their salaries.

TCI?s human resources manager Peter Roche said they had in fact tried to negotiate with the 171 people. But, negotiations between the two sides had failed to turn out positive results because the ex-workers had threatened and intimidated TCI?s officials in the meetings.

TCI works for coal miner Kideco Jaya Agung in Pasir Regency in East Kalimantan. (*)