Mataram – Hundreds of people seeking jobs at PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara (NNT) staged a rally on Monday, blocking the main access road to the company's Batu Hijau mining site in Sekongkang, West Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara (NTT).
The protesters, who demanded NNT employ them, blocked the road from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time, forcing the company to temporarily stop its mining activities.
"Employees who were about to go home after completing their work shift could not leave the site, while those about to start their shift could not enter the site," NNT spokesperson Ruslan Ahmad told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
The protesters said they have been applying for jobs at the company since last year. Ruslan said the decision to recruit new employees would mainly rely on the condition of the company at present.
NNT employs about 6,000 employees at the Batu Hijau mine. Since the company started its operation in 2000, it has contributed some Rp 90 trillion (US$6.4 billion) to Indonesia in taxes and royalties, Ruslan said.