Update: Newmont workers strike has not affected operation, official says

Public relations manager of gold and copper miner PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara (NNT) Kasan Mulyono told Petromindo.com on Thursday that only 60 workers were involved in a strike at its Sumbawa Island mine in Nusa Tenggara Province.

It was previously reported that some 300 workers were involved in the strike, that started on Wednesday, aimed at demanding higher overtime pay.

Kasan also said that the company's mining activities had not been affected by the strike and operation continued as usual.

The protest occurred due to the different interpretation of the standard working hours that were implemented by the company. The workers insisted that the company had to pay four-hour overtime each day for the last two years while the company insisted that the overtime was only two hours a day.

Kasan said that NNT had paid Rp 6 million per each non-staff worker according to the guideline issued by the local manpower office. He added that the company had invited the protesting workers to settle the difference amicably and continued to work as usual.

“The company is also waiting for directives from the local manpower office on how to deal with the problem,” he added.

NNT, a unit of US gold giant Newmont Mining Corp. produces some 650 million pounds of copper and 600,000 ounces of gold annually. (*)