Caltex closes offices as labor protest continues<\/p>\n
Haidir Anwar Tanjung, The Jakarta Post, Riau, Pekanbaru<\/p>\n
Thousands of PT Tripatra workers were still blocking main roads
\nto PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia (CPI) offices in Rumbai and Duri,
\nprompting the management of CPI to declare a holiday for its
\nemployees.<\/p>\n
"This is just a precautionary measure in anticipation of an
\nunresolved lay-off dispute between PT Tripatra and its
\nemployees," CPI external assistant manager Poedyo Oetomo told The
\nJakarta Post here on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
PT Tripatra is one of CPI's contractors.<\/p>\n
The management of Tripatra, meanwhile, continued to hold
\nmeetings with labor leaders on Wednesday, but no agreement was
\nreached.<\/p>\n
Tripatra workers from Petapahan and Libo continued to flock to
\neither Rumbai or Duri, blocking all roads to CPI offices and
\npreventing CPI employees and other partners from entering the
\noffices. They also took control of a number of trucks, which they
\nused to block the roads.<\/p>\n
"We will not leave this place until our future is resolved,"
\nworkers' spokesman Syariadi told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Poedyo admitted that the workers controlled a CPI truck unit
\nin Duri, but stressed that vital installations, such as oil
\nfields, had not been affected.<\/p>\n
"Oil extraction is still going on as normal. Only employees at
\nthe Rumbai and Duri offices have been prevented from reporting to
\nwork by protesting workers," he said.<\/p>\n
Poedyo said CPI's performance would not be affected, even if
\nits two offices -- at Rumbai and Duri -- were temporarily closed.<\/p>\n
CPI has 650 employees at its Rumbai office and about 350 at
\nDuri.<\/p>\n
Close to 4,000 workers of PT Tripatra engineers and
\ncontractors in Rumbai and Minas have been staging a protest in
\nfront of the CPI offices at Rumbai, Pekanbaru, and Duri, some 150
\nkilometers north of Pekanbaru, since Monday.<\/p>\n
They are demanding that CPI take responsibility for the future
\nof some 3,700 workers PT Triparta, planned to be laid off due to
\na decrease in construction orders from Caltex.<\/p>\n
Tripatra has offered a voluntary severance scheme for affected
\nworkers, under which they would receive up to Rp 27 million each.
\nThe workers, however, rejected the scheme, arguing that the
\namount on offer was too small.<\/p>\n
They alleged that other contractors that had experienced
\nsimilar circumstances had offered up to Rp 100 million to laid-
\noff workers.<\/p>\n
The workers demanded that the U.S. oil company be held
\nresponsible for their fate.<\/p>\n
The police have deployed dozens of personnel at both offices,
\nputting vital installations under full police guard.<\/p>\n
"All roads leading to the CPI offices and housing complex are
\nclosed to the general public," Poedyo said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/caltex-closes-offices-as-labor-protest-continues-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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