"Indonesian Official Calls for Change After Deadly Protest" 21 January 2023

Indonesia’s Ministry of Manpower said Thursday that PT Gunbuster Nickel Industry, a China-owned nickel smelting facility in Indonesia, needs to revisit the contract work and wage system that led to dissatisfaction among the company’s Indonesian workers.

Two workers, one Chinese and one Indonesian, were killed in a protest last weekend at the company’s smelter in North Morowali. A December accident at the site left two Indonesian workers dead.

During the protests, dozens of dormitories were torched, and equipment was damaged. Reuters and the Chinese Embassy in the capital city of Jakarta said many people were injured in the melee.

According to Deputy Manpower Minister Afriansyah Noor, the violence between Indonesian and Chinese workers at the nickel processing site was caused by issues that date back to 2020, including a gap in pay between Indonesian and Chinese workers, and the early, involuntary, ending of contracts, which would normally last three to six months.

“We saw these issues accumulated, combined with lack of communication [and it] finally blew up. Hopefully through a mediation and communication that is going on now, these issues can be addressed,” Noor said Thursday to VOA Indonesia during his visit to PT GNI in Morowali.

“[The Indonesian] workers are not happy with their wages and think they are not paid enough, plus there are cases where they are terminated before the end of their contract,” he said.

“There should be a regulation, [the company] should not unilaterally terminate a contract,” he added. [...]