Workers' families stay over night at Bukit Asam office in protest
Tuesday, May 9 2000 - 04:30 AM WIB
Wives and children of at least 340 former workers of PT Sumber Mitra Jaya (SMJ) stayed over night on Monday at the front yard of the state owned coal mining company PT Bukit Asam's office in Muara Enim, South Sumatera, demanding a fair severance payment, Sumatera Express reported on Tuesday.
While their wives set up tents at the coal mining producer's offices, the workers continued with their action to seize over a hundred of SMJ's vehicles of difference types as hostages after the company refused to pay a fair compensation for them.
"We will continue to stay here until SMJ meets our demand," one of the workers' wives said.
SMJ, a contractor of the state owned coal producer, dismissed 350 of its 8,000 workers several months ago. The dismissal, however, was opposed by the workers after the company failed to pay a fair severance payment to them.
The local employment office as well as the local administration has been intensively involved in negotiations with the workers but no progress has so far been made. The workers, who demanded a total of Rp 2.79 billion in severance payment, accused SMJ of intentionally delaying the payment.
The workers said that they had been invited to have talks for months but the company had never tried to listen to their demand.(*)