Reaching An Agreement With The Board Of Directors, Pertamina Labor Union Cancels Strike And Guarantees Energy Distribution Throughout The Country

Illustration. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - The Pertamina Workers Union canceled the planned national strike which was planned to be held today. The cancellation of this action was officially announced by the United Pertamina Workers Union Federation (FSPPB). This decision was taken after the union reached an agreement with Pertamina's directors.

FSPPB President Arie Gumilar said that with the agreement reached with Pertamina's directors, the planned strike action on January 7, 2022 was also cancelled.

"In connection with the signing of the Joint Agreement between FSPPB and the Board of Directors of PT Pertamina (Persero) witnessed and facilitated by the Directorate General of Industrial Relations and Social Security for the Manpower Ministry, the national strike action plan is cancelled," he said in an official statement, Wednesday, 29 December.

However, Arie did not explain in detail what the agreement meant. He only said that because of the decision, FSPPB instructed all PT Pertamina (Persero) workers to be able to work as usual and ensure energy distribution throughout the country.

Arie also said that matters that are part of the Collective Agreement will be followed up jointly between FSPPB and the company.

"The agreement in this Collective Agreement is purely the result of an agreement between the parties, namely the FSPPB and the Directors of PT Pertamina (Persero) without any intervention from any party including but not limited to the Commissioner of PT Pertamina (Persero)," he said.

Labor union threatens national strike

Previously, the FSPPB threatened to go on strike until the end of the new year. This action will be carried out by all Pertamina Group employees in all regions. They asked the Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir to remove the President Director of PT Pertamina (Persero) Nicke Widyawati.

The strike action will be carried out at two different times, starting on December 29, 2021, and January 7, 2022.

"We hereby notify the President Director of PT Pertamina (Persero) and the Minister of Manpower of the Republic of Indonesia that we will carry out a strike," wrote the Strike Notification Letter received by VOI, Tuesday, December 21.

This strike is suspected to be due to the failure to reach a Collective Labor Agreement (PKB) agreement within Pertamina between employers and workers represented by the FSPPB. Employers and workers represented by FSPPB failed to negotiate.

In addition, the union views that there is no good faith from the President Director of PT Pertamina (Persero) to build harmonious, dynamic, and fair working relations or industrial peace. So in their demands the union urged to remove the president director from his position and replace him with a better one.

The union explained that the strike action and this demand were a form of disappointment over the neglect of the demand for the Minister of SOEs to leave the position of President Director of Pertamina which is currently filled by Nicke Widyawati.

"The United Pertamina Workers Union Federation (FSPPB) as the workers organization of PT Pertamina (Persero) asks the Minister of SOEs with all their authority to remove Ms. Nicke Widyawati as President Director of PT Pertamina (Persero)," the letter read.

However, the FSPPB said the strike could be stopped before the stipulated time period if the demands had been met or if the company was willing to negotiate with the union.