"The acts of intimidation by former strikers did not happen all over PT Freeport`s concession area but only at a number of locations. But the management decided to temporarily cease all production activity," said Dionisius.
Timika (ANTARA News) - PT Freeport Indonesia has since last Friday (Feb 24) temporarily stopped its operations following incidents between workers who participated in a strike not long ago and workers who had not joined the lockout.

The former strikers had intimidated and even manhandled the non-strikers, Dionisius Mameyau, head of Mimika`s Social, Manpower and Transmigration Office, said in a statement to ANTARA News on Monday.

"The acts of intimidation by former strikers did not happen all over PT Freeport`s concession area but only at a number of locations. But the management decided to temporarily cease all production activity," said Dionisius.

So far, PT Freeport`s management had yer to submit an official report on the situation and conditions in its concession area to the Mimika district government, he said.

"They have yet to submit an official report so that we actually do not know precisely what has happened,the steps they have already taken to establish communication with the workers," Dionisius said.

But the Mimika district government had already planned to call the PT Freeport management and the trade union`s leadership to a meeting to clarify the situation and try to work out a solution,he said. Th meering would be held on Thursday (March 1).

Meanwhile, PT Freeport spokesman Ramdani Sirait on Monday admitted a disruption had occurred in the company`s operations.

He ssaid PT Freeport had met all the conditions set forth in the Collective Labo Agreement signed with workers` representatives in Jakarta not so long ago.

"Some of the former strikers committed acts of intimidation and violence against non-strikers and their supervisors," Ramdani said.

According to other sources in in Timika, a meeting took place btween PT Freeport workers who participated and those who did not join the strike to discuss their problem at Tembagaoura`s Community Hall at noon on Monday.

At the same time, leaders of PT Freeport trade union also held a meeting with Papua Police Chief Insp Gen Bigman Lumban Tobing at the Rimba Hotek in Timika.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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