Labor dispute at KPC finally settled<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) finally reached an
\nagreement with its striking workers on Wednesday that allowed for
\nan immediate resumption of production in East Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
Minister of Manpower Bomer Pasaribu announced on Wednesday
\nthat the final agreement was concluded during negotiations held
\nat his office by the Indonesian Tripartite Forum consisting of
\nemployer, trade union and government representatives.<\/p>\n
\"We agreed today to settle once and for all the labor dispute
\nat KPC and coal production at its Sanggata mine in East
\nKalimantan, which halted on Tuesday, should resume immediately
\nthis afternoon,\" Bomer added after the negotiations.<\/p>\n
KPC stopped operations on Tuesday for the second time in less
\nthan five weeks after striking workers resumed their blockade of
\nthe coal mine in Sanggata district following the failure of
\nnegotiations on Monday afternoon.<\/p>\n
Besides KPC chief executive officer Grant Thorne,
\nrepresentatives of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and
\nIndustry (Kadin) and the Ministry of Mines and Energy, and
\nMuchtar Pakpahan, chairman of the Prosperity Trade Union, which
\norganized the strike, also took part in the negotiations.<\/p>\n
Director general for general mining of the Ministry of Mines
\nand Energy Surna T. Djadjadiningrat said that under the
\nagreement, the striking workers were to completely lift the mine
\nblockade and return to work with immediate effect.<\/p>\n
\"The agreement takes effect this Wednesday,\" he said.<\/p>\n
KPC and the parties would now able to resume negotiations on
\ntechnical details of the workers' demands, Surna said, adding
\nthat the Ministry of Manpower in Jakarta would facilitate the
\ntalks.<\/p>\n
Sofyan Wanandi, Chairman of the National Business Development
\nCouncil (DPUN), who also actively participated in the
\nnegotiations, expressed relief over the final agreement.<\/p>\n
\"We were greatly concerned with this dispute and were keenly
\ninterested in contributing to its final settlement for the
\npurpose of maintaining a conducive investment climate,\" Sofyan
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Previous negotiations had been organized by the Regional
\nCommittee for the Settlement of Labor Disputes (P4D), which ruled
\nthat the workers' strike was illegal.<\/p>\n
The local committee had also concluded that KPC could ignore
\nthe workers' demands that included a 15 percent wage increase and
\nthe reinstatement of daily allowances.<\/p>\n
KPC, jointly owned by the Anglo-Australian mining company Rio
\nTinto and the Anglo-American oil company BP Amoco Plc, first
\nhalted production in mid-June after striking workers blockaded
\nits mine.<\/p>\n
But operations resumed earlier this month after both sides
\nagreed to reopen negotiations.(vin\/bkm)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/labor-dispute-at-kpc-finally-settled-1447893297",
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