Tripatra removes another 431 workers

After laying off 500 administrative staff last month, PT Tripatra Engineers and Constructors, a labor supplier of oil producer PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia (CPI), laid off on Wednesday another 431 field workers, Kompas newspaper reported on Thursday.

There are still another 4,064 workers are waiting to be laid off before October 10, 2003

Tripatra, a Riau-based company, last month decided to lay off 4,995 workers ? 4,495 field workers and 500 administrative staff?following the termination of its contract with CPI on September 30.

All the 431 workers received their severance pay from the company, Aryo Damar, an official of Tripatra?s human resources and industrial relations department said in Duri, Bengkalis regency in Riau on Wednesday.

?With this, we had already paid the severance pay to 931 workers?500 administrative staff and 431 field workers, Aryo said.

Aryo also revealed that Tripatra expressed its interest in another contract with CPI and both the companies are negotiating the tender for the new contract.

Meanwhile, CPI?s team manager of communications and media relations Hanafi Kadir told Kompas that his company has not yet taken a decision on the tender, which will be mostly for short term works.

?Our tender this time will be in the construction operational maintenance section but not in the usual production section,? Hanafi said. (*)