JAKARTA (Reuters) – Mining operations at Indonesia’s Grasberg copper and gold mine have been halted as protests over coronavirus restrictions continued until day three at the mine operated through a Freeport-McMoran Inc unit. .
Workers have blocked access to the world’s largest copper mine in Papua’s easternmost region since Monday, making it difficult for them to be allowed to return to their families living in another city for the first time since March. and to get a bonus for paintings in the middle of a pandemic. .
“Operations at the mine are carried out on a limited basis, giving priority to mine maintenance work. We are still assessing the situation, ”PT Freeport Indonesia spokeswoman Riza Pratama said on Wednesday, adding that the company hoped to find a quick solution to the protest.
A protester who did not want to name the aftermath said almost all the miners joined the protest and there had been no production at Grasberg since Tuesday.
Freeport employs another 13,000 people in Tembagapura, the closest city to the Grasberg mine. Of the latter, 389 tested positive for the coronavirus, of which 361 have already recovered, Pratama said in a text message.
On Monday, Pratama said that Freeport Indonesia is running on a new paint program that adheres to “new general protocols. “
Yonpis Tabuni, a representative for the employees, told Reuters that the protesters were meeting with Freeport Indonesia control and government officials to discuss a solution.
Workers and the company have yet to agree on how many other people will be allowed to leave according to the day, said the protester who declined to be named.
“We will stick to physical conditioning protocols like wearing a mask and social distancing,” he said.
The Grasberg oconsistent conhations are lately moving from an open pit mine to an underground oconsistent congestion. The mine is expected to produce 110,000 tonnes of ore consistently to the day in 2020.
Reporting through Agustinus Beo Da Costa; Written through Gayatri Suroyo; Edited via Ed Davies
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