Miners strike for higher wages
- 13 years ago
EDIT CONTAINS 4:3 MATERIAL
Dominus Mom is a 37 year old mine worker in Indonesia's Papua province...
After dropping out of school 18 years ago because he couldn't afford it, he began working for Freeport McMoran Copper and Gold Incorporated.
He makes just over $700 a month-- considered good for Papua standards. But as he supports two daughters, grandchildren, and often times neighbours, he can barely make ends meet.
In mid September, Mom and 12,000 other mining colleagues walked off the job to demand higher wages.
They want from between $12.50 to $37 an hour... right now they make from one to three dollars an hour and say it's less than 10 times what Freeport workers around the world make.
(SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) FREEPORT MINER, DOMINUS MOM, SAYING:
"My income is too little to feed my family. This house needs to be fixed. We have to keep fighting for a better salary, a better life."
Gold, especially, is a hot commodity as of late.
The international economic crisis has seen prices for the metal spike to historic highs... and as a safeguard against slowing economies worldwide, some investors predict bullion will extend its rally well into next year.
But for Freeport McMoran, quarterly profits will be affected.
Union workers announced Thursday they will remain on strike until mid-November, which will prevent the company from meeting third quarter sales estimates.
Julie Noce, Reuters
Dominus Mom is a 37 year old mine worker in Indonesia's Papua province...
After dropping out of school 18 years ago because he couldn't afford it, he began working for Freeport McMoran Copper and Gold Incorporated.
He makes just over $700 a month-- considered good for Papua standards. But as he supports two daughters, grandchildren, and often times neighbours, he can barely make ends meet.
In mid September, Mom and 12,000 other mining colleagues walked off the job to demand higher wages.
They want from between $12.50 to $37 an hour... right now they make from one to three dollars an hour and say it's less than 10 times what Freeport workers around the world make.
(SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) FREEPORT MINER, DOMINUS MOM, SAYING:
"My income is too little to feed my family. This house needs to be fixed. We have to keep fighting for a better salary, a better life."
Gold, especially, is a hot commodity as of late.
The international economic crisis has seen prices for the metal spike to historic highs... and as a safeguard against slowing economies worldwide, some investors predict bullion will extend its rally well into next year.
But for Freeport McMoran, quarterly profits will be affected.
Union workers announced Thursday they will remain on strike until mid-November, which will prevent the company from meeting third quarter sales estimates.
Julie Noce, Reuters