An agreement was signed in Jakarta on 14 December 2011 between the Freeport workers union PUK-SP-KEP-SPSI and management of PT Freeport Indonesia.
Striking miners at Grasberg will be paid their lost salaries during the three-month strike. In a last minute company concession, disciplinary action against a number of strikers has been withdrawn and complete amnesty accorded.
The miners will receive a 24% increase on their back-dated wages to 1 October 2011. In October 2012, they will receive a 13% increase. The 37% falls short of the union’s most recent demand to increase wages to US$4.50 per hour this year and then by US$3 per hour in 2012. The resolve of workers and union leaders was a lesson of worker solidarity and unity to trade unions across the globe, and many paid special attention to the developments of this strike.
“We are not entirely happy with the wage deal,” said union bargaining committee member Juli Parorrongan. “We made the decision to settle due to humanitarian reasons and out of concern for our workers. They have no money, very little to eat, and having no pay checks have pushed them to the brink of poverty. But this is not the end, only the beginning. The energy and unity of our struggle now enters the workplace."
Nine people were killed since the strike started on 15 September, with a number of workers shot by police during protests. During the strike PUK-SP-KEP-SPSI, together with KASBI and AAWL issued a joint statement. Read the full statement in Bahasa Indonesia here or in English here. List of endorsements here.
Financial support is still needed: donate to the workers here. More information on the dispute here. Read the full ICEM report here.
An agreement was signed in Jakarta on 14 December 2011 between the Freeport workers union PUK-SP-KEP-SPSI and management of PT Freeport Indonesia.
Striking miners at Grasberg will be paid their lost salaries during the three-month strike. In a last minute company concession, disciplinary action against a number of strikers has been withdrawn and complete amnesty accorded.
The miners will receive a 24% increase on their back-dated wages to 1 October 2011. In October 2012, they will receive a 13% increase. The 37% falls short of the union’s most recent demand to increase wages to US$4.50 per hour this year and then by US$3 per hour in 2012. The resolve of workers and union leaders was a lesson of worker solidarity and unity to trade unions across the globe, and many paid special attention to the developments of this strike.
“We are not entirely happy with the wage deal,” said union bargaining committee member Juli Parorrongan. “We made the decision to settle due to humanitarian reasons and out of concern for our workers. They have no money, very little to eat, and having no pay checks have pushed them to the brink of poverty. But this is not the end, only the beginning. The energy and unity of our struggle now enters the workplace."
Nine people were killed since the strike started on 15 September, with a number of workers shot by police during protests. During the strike PUK-SP-KEP-SPSI, together with KASBI and AAWL issued a joint statement. Read the full statement in Bahasa Indonesia here or in English here. List of endorsements here.
Financial support is still needed: donate to the workers here. More information on the dispute here. Read the full ICEM report here.
