Forelock policy on 1,000 employees of PT Freeport has no legal basis

Timika, Jubi – Branch chairman of Chemical, Energy and Mining Workers’ Union (SP-KEP) SPSI Mimika Regency, Papua Province fully supports PT Freeport Indonesia’s worker strike’a plan from 1 May.

Chairman of SP-KEP SPSI Mimika Aser Gobay in Timika, Wednesday (26th April), said that PT Freeport employees have the right to hold a strike, which is guaranteed by Law No. 13 of 2003 on Labor.

The strike planned to last for a whole month from May 1 to 31, 2017 was raised by the Head of Work Unit (PUK) SP-KEP SPSI PT Freeport.

“Please feel free if the security forces advise employees to discourage their intention to strike, but employees also have the right to strike, it is guaranteed by law,” Aser said.

He responded to opinion of the Manpower, Transmigration and People’s Housing Office of Mimika who called employees strike to have no legality since it was not caused by a failure of negotiation with the management.

“The strike is not merely based from failed negotiation, but the union asks Freeport’s management to negotiate, which they refused, that is why the strike is legitimate,” explained Aser who is an employee of PT Kuala Pelabuhan Indonesia (KPI), one of a privatization company that manages transportation within PT Freeport.

Aser said that the PUK SP-KEP SPSI has yet to discuss in detail what activities will be held on May 1 to coincide with the commemoration of International Day of Work (May Day) in Timika.

According to him, PT Freeport employees’ strike which was followed by all employees of Freeport subcontractors this time was triggered by various problems within PT Freeport and subcontractor companies, among others, the layoffs policy, forelock (laying off) employees.

The forelock policy imposed on more than 1,000 PT Freeport employees, he said, has no legal basis as it is not regulated in the Industrial Relations Guidance book and the Collective Labor Agreement (PKB) and has never been negotiated with the union.

He said thousands of workers of PT Freeport and subcontractor companies who meet daily at the Secretariat Office PUK SP-KEP SPSI PT Freeport on Jalan Budi Utomo Timika is no longer working because they are all threatened to be laid off and dismissed by the management company.(*)