23 Dec 2011

Strike continues at part of Papua's Freeport mine

2:37 pm on 23 December 2011

Reports from Indonesia say some workers of Freeport's Papua mine have continued their strike for higher pay launched in September.

The Jakarta Post says an unspecified number of employees has stayed away from work although a settlement was signed last week, giving workers a 37 percent wage increase as well as other benefits.

Freeport also agreed to pay the salaries of the workers for the three months they were out on strike.

Meanwhile, the police say they plan to summon a number of strike organisers as part of ongoing criminal investigations into the labour action.

Board members of the All-Indonesian Workers Union have reportedly been banned from leaving Timika, the seat of the company's headquarters, and dozens of members have been summoned for questioning.

About 8,000 of 12,000 workers went on strike, crippling production at the Grasberg mine, which holds the world's largest gold reserves.