Termination for Thousands of Newmont Workers
Friday, 11 April, 2008 | 18:23 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Mataram: There’s a possibility that thousands of Green Stone miners of PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara in Jereweh sub district, West Sumbawa will be terminated. It is due to the company's problem with their second phase of their field permit given by the forestry minister.

“Management of PT Newmont has told us about the work termination,” said one of Newmont’s employees. The management plans to reduce 1,000 staff. Some of them are happy because they will have a good sum as their separation pay, but they are concerned at not having a job any more.

Head of the forestry department of West Nusa Tenggara, Baderun Zainal, said to Tempo that Newmont has been waiting for three years for the second phase of its field permit. “I cannot give permission because it is the central government's authority,” he said.

He said, Newmont occupies 6,400 hectares of land including 2,100 hectares for mining activity and 600 hectares for mining wells. Newmont still needs for 38 more hectares to store the mining material that has not yet been processed.

According to Baderun, the permission delay has influenced the mining schedule of PT Newmont.

Newmont's public relations manager, Kasan Mulyono, agrees with Baderun that if the government delays the permission for 38 hectares of land, they have to cut hundreds of their employees.

“We believe that the government will give permission soon,” said Kasan to Tempo. Otherwise, Newmont will cut their schedule from the year 2021 to 2015.

SUPRIYANTHO KHAFID