Workers of Unocal sub-contractor hold a strike

Hundreds of workers hired by a sub-contractor of oil and gas firm Unocal Indonesia in East Kalimantan's Pasir Ridge area staged a strike on Monday, the local Kaltim Post daily reported.

The paper said that the workers had bee nervous that their five-year contract terminating in 2005 would not be extended.

The paper said that the strike was intended to give pressure both to the contractor and Unocal to ensure that their work contract extended when it expires next year.

Unocal is still in negotiation with the sub-contractor to resolve the problem, the paper quoted a Unocal official as saying.(*)