Participating in the Spotlight of PT GNI Employee Clashes which Swallowed Lives, Minister Ida Deploys Investigation Team

JAKARTA - The Minister of Manpower, Ida Fauziyah, said he was concerned about the demonstration that ended in anarchy at the PT Gunbuster Nickel Industri (GNI) location in Bunta Village, East Petasia, North Morowali, Central Sulawesi, Saturday night.

The reason, said Ida, was that clashes between workers at the nickel mining company claimed lives at the project site.

"The Ministry of Manpower is very concerned and is sorry for the anarchist action that caused casualties in the incident", Ida said in an official statement, Monday, January 16.

Regarding this incident, Ida said that the Ministry of Manpower would deploy an investigation team from elements of the labor inspectorate, mediators, and work agents to PT GNI's location to thoroughly investigate this matter.

"The Ministry of Manpower team will continue to assist the Regional Labor Inspection Team in handling problems that occur. This includes taking steps to prevent similar incidents", said Ida Fauziyah.

Ida also admitted that he had coordinated intensively with the ranks of the North Morowali Regency Manpower Office and the Central Sulawesi Province Manpower Office to find out the causes of the anarchist action at PT GNI's location.

"We are intensively coordinating with the Central Sulawesi Provincial Manpower Office and North Morowali Regency Manpower Office and asking both parties, namely representatives of the National Workers' Union (SPN) and PT GNI, to immediately mediate to resolve labor issues", she said.

Ida said, from the information gathered, the chaos was caused by labor issues being demanded by the SPN representative. Among them are demands regarding OSH, wages, and layoffs so the assumption that the riots were triggered by the presence of foreign workers is not true.

“Some of the workers' demands have been accepted and the company will fulfill them. However, we are still carrying out tracing, mediation, and investigations with the local Manpower Office", she said.