1 Chinese Worker and 2 Locals Died During A Clash at Nickel Company in Sulawesi

Liputan6.com, North Morowali - 71 workers were arrested and three others died after a chaotic rally at a nickel smeltering plant in Morowali Utara (North Morowali) Regency, Central Sulawesi Province. One victim was a Chinese worker.

The chaos erupted at the plant of the Gunbuster Nickel Industri (GNI). The police and government confirmed that the workers were demanding better payment and safety.

The workers' rallies already started last Friday, 13 January 2023. North Morowali Police said there had been a mediation at the local labor bureau, but the result was inconclusive as most of the workers' demands were not accepted.

On Saturday night, the situation turned chaotic as hundreds of workers angrily threw items and destroyed a road to one of the posts in the location.

The nickel in Sulawesi has been a huge national topic in Indonesia. Some critics gave unfavorable views toward the growing presence of the Chinese workers. However, the Ministry of Manpower stated that the recent chaos was not because of foreign workers.

Another problem was the safety of the workers. In December 2022, two young workers died in a tragic fire incident. One of them was a young woman, another was a young male intern. A viral video showed they were trapped inside a cabin on a crane, which was later engulfed in flame.

"Oh God, a person is burning," said a man who recorded the fatal moment from a distance.

Meanwhile, the Chief Regional Police of Central Sulawesi, Rudy Sufahriadi, said some people in last week's chaos were provocateurs, and he conveyed that investment was important for the province. GNI is owned by a Chinese businessman Tony Zhou Yuan.

"We do not want the serenity and peace that have been protected in North Morowali to be damaged by provocateurs. We want the presence of investors to manage the regional potential for the people's welfare," said Rudy as quoted by the state news agency Antara.

The police have named 17 people as the suspects which caused three people to lose their lives. Police and National Army are already sent to protect the area.

Minister for Manpower Ida Fauziyah said that the chaos last Saturday at GNI was not incited by foreign workers. Ida said the problems were about work safety, salary, and laid off.

"The idea that this was incited by the presence of foreign workers is not true," said Minister Ida.

She said her ministry would keep working intensively with the local manpower offices in North Morowali, and asked National Workers Union (SPN), and GNI to mediate in order to find solutions.

Ida also said a team from her ministry would investigate the situation, and organized the measures to prevent a similar occurrence.

Minister for Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita also regretted the incident and supported the legal process. He also emphasized Indonesia's safety for investment. And he asked the workers to follow the Standard Operational Procedures, especially related to safety.

The Chief of National Police Listyo Sigit Prabowo also said that the President Joko Widodo asked the police to be firm against the law-breakers and protect the operational activities at GNI.

Fauzan, Lizsa Egeham, Tira Santia contributed to this report.