11 Nov 2011

Strike at US mine in Freeport in Indonesia's Papua expected to end soon

8:49 am on 11 November 2011

The strike that has rocked copper and gold mining company Freeport McMoran in Indonesia's Papua region is expected to come to an end soon.

Thousands of workers launched a strike in September when the collective bargaining between management and workers hit a deadlock over several crucial issues, mainly a wage hike.

The Jakarta Post reports management and workers have made significant progress in their negotiations.

The Manpower and Transmigration Ministry's, Myra Maria Hanartani, says as part of the ongoing bargaining process, the management had offered a 35 percent wage increase.

At the same time, the Confederation of All-Indonesian Workers Union, agreed to lower its demand for a wage hike from US$6.7 per hour to $4 per hour.

The negotiation, mediated by the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry, is still underway and both sides are expected to reach a compromise soon to end the prolonged industrial strike.