Workers' strike paralyzes Thiess' activities in S. Kalimantan

Activities at PT Thiess Contractor Indonesia (TCI), a contractor of South Kalimantan-based coal miner PT Arutmin Indonesia, were still totally halted by Sunday as protesting workers continued their strike, local daily Banjarmasin Post reported on Monday.

Some 100 workers of Thiess went on strike in Kelumpang Tengah in Kotabaru Regency, South Kalimantan, on Thursday after being forced by an executive of TCI to leave their workplace following their refusal to continue doing their work at its maintenance section.

The workers had earlier complained about the company?s supervisor unfairly reprimanding an employee. They said the supervisor was too arrogant.

Officials from the local manpower office had tried to negotiate with the workers but their negotiations were deadlocked.

Meanwhile, TCI has yet to resolve its legal battle against 117 workers who had filed a suit in the South Jakarta district court against the company management.

The 117 workers, who had worked at mining projects of coal miner PT Kideco Jaya Agung also in Kotabaru, accused the TCI management of arbitrarily dismissing them last year. (*)