Four senior employees of a US mining company accused by unions of being at fault over a deadly Indonesian mine accident have been suspended after workers threatened to strike, the firm said Friday.
Unions at Freeport-McMoRan’s Grasberg, a huge gold and copper mine in eastern Papua province, called off a strike that had been due to begin Friday after the employees — who included three foreigners — were suspended.
They had demanded the move, accusing the staff members of being at fault over the May 14 tunnel collapse at Grasberg which left 28 people dead.
A strike would have been another blow to the troubled operation after production was suspended pending the outcome of a probe into the accident. A previous strike in 2011 lasted three months and crippled production.
Daisy Primayanti, a spokeswoman for Freeport’s Indonesian subsidiary, confirmed the suspensions.
“These suspensions are part of our ongoing investigation process,” she told AFP, adding the decision was taken after discussions with unions. “This is for the interest of all workers and our organisation.”
She said those suspended were the heads of geo-technical services, safety and occupational health, quality management services and underground operations.
She said three of the officials were foreigners, but refused to disclose their nationalities. The fourth was Indonesian, she said.
Asked whether the employees denied wrongdoing over the accident, she refused to comment saying that an investigation was ongoing.
Virgo Solossa, a union official involved in the discussions about industrial action, confirmed the strike had been called off.
“Following the company management’s decision, Freeport workers dropped their plan to go on strike,” he said.
There are more than 24,000 workers at Freeport, some directly employed and some sub-contractors.
The production shutdown has hit operations at Grasberg, with Freeport declaring force majeure on shipments from the mine on Wednesday.
This is a clause in contracts that frees companies from liability if they cannot fulfil their obligations due to circumstances beyond their control.
Senior Indonesia mine staff suspended over deadly accident
