The nickel workers’s union staged a protest on Wednesday, demanding companies to adhere to occupational health and safety laws. This ultimatum follows the recent explosion at the smelter furnace owned by PT Indonesia Tsingshan Stainless Steel (ITSS) in Morowali, Central Sulawesi.
Katsaing, Chairman of the Prosperous Indonesian Workers Union (SPIS), said some 300 workers took part in the protest. “Our primary request is for companies to comply with health and safety laws,” he said as quoted by Reuters on Wednesday, December 27, 2023.
Dedy Kurniawan, Spokesman for PT Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP), said that company representatives were engaged in discussions with worker representatives to find a resolution to the demands.
In a related development, the police reported an increase in the death toll to 18 individuals due to the explosion at the smelter furnace of PT ITSS. Morowali Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Suprianto said on Wednesday that out of the 18 fatalities, eight were foreign workers, while the remaining ten were Indonesians.
