JAKARTA, Oct 8 (Reuters) – Workers at Freeport-McMoRan Inc’s giant Indonesian copper mine are seeking face-to-face talks with local management following a fatal accident, and may plan a further mine blockade or strike action, a union official said.
Hundreds of angry protestors blocked access for two days last week to the open-pit area of the Grasberg copper complex, where production has been halted following the death of four workers on Sept. 27. The open pit accounts for more than half of the mine’s output.
Fresh protests, blockades or strike action could be triggered if workers’ safety concerns and other demands were ignored, said Albar Sabang, a senior official at a Freeport union, potentially hindering copper exports.
“Production is important but safety is number one,” Sabang told Reuters, adding that protesting workers had demanded a meeting on Oct. 11-12 with Freeport Indonesia CEO Rozik Soetjipto. “If the demands are not met they will plan to do another protest,” he said.
The Indonesian government is investigating the accident, which involved a collision between a light vehicle carrying nine people and a haul truck, and has laid out a number of required work changes for open-pit mining to resume.
Freeport has not responded to requests for comment, but the Arizona-based firm said in statements last week that it would work closely with the government accident investigation team and that safety at Grasberg is a priority.
A tunnel collapse last year killed 28 workers at the mine in one of the country’s worst mining disasters. Union officials say five people have now died at the mine this year following an earlier fatality.
The Grasberg complex sits inside the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and faces regular earthquakes, as well as torrential rainfall that can trigger landslides down steep slopes. The mine’s position on top of a mountain means workers also have to cope with altitude sickness and poor visibility due to thick mist.
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