NUSA DUA. Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Jero Wacik stated that the meeting point in negotiation between employees (union) and management of PT Freeport Indonesia gets closer, so it is hoped that in the near future the mining activity could be back operated.
Since the case raised on July 29th, through government mediation (Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and Ministry of Labor), in its progress both sides keep on proposing the revision of salary increase, so the comparison of basic salary proposed from both sides becomes smaller,” says Minister of EMR in the press conference in Westin Hotel, Nusa Dua, Bali, Wednesday (16/11/2011). In the press conference were also attended Minister of Labor and Transmigration, Muhaimin Iskandar and other officials of both ministries.
Jero Wacik stated that the government continuously supervise the case and do mediation between union and management of PT Freeport because the case involves the wide mining area and many employees.
In the beginning, employees asked salary increased becoming US$ 35 per hour, the claim decreased in August 2011 becoming US$ 17, 5 per hour, October 25th, 2011 becoming US$ 7, 5 per hour, and on November 7th, 2011 becoming US$ 4 per hour. The management offered the salary previously US$ 2, 1 per hour becoming US$ 3,09 per hour. “So now it gets closer, jus t need to adjust the comas,” says Jero Wacik.
Generally, Jero Wacik evaluated that the claim of salary increased is a normal thing in a company. However, their claim from US$ 2,1 to US$ 35 per hour is considered too high.
Minister of EMR added that the salary increased proposed by management of PT Freeport is quite good because besides basic salary, employees also receive incentives such as house assistance, transportation, education fee (up to university), overwork, and also studying chance to a higher education level and priority in position when coming back to PT Freeport.
According to Minister of EMR, because of the strikes of employees and PT Freeport management, the mine production of the company decrease up to 5 % by its lost revenue potency for US$ 8 million per day. “Now, the most important thing is how to make Freeport operate as soon as possible because state, company, and community will lost,” affirms the minister. (AK)
