A workers union at Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold’s Big Gossan mine in Indonesia has called for its members to stop work after an employee was killed in a second tunnel collapse on Friday.
The first collapse occured on 15 May, killing 28 people and injuring four others.
Freeport resumed maintenance work at the mine, located at the Grasberg mine complex, on the 29 May, a decision the workers union protested against.
Union spokesman Virgo Solossa described the company as arrogant after forcing themselves and their workers to go back to work.
"That’s why the union calls all workers to stop working at all Freeport mining area," Solossa told Reuters.
The union claimed that Freeport did not suspend anyone who was responsible for the safety systems at its open-pit mine during an ongoing probe.
The Grasberg’s open-pit mine produces about 140,000 tonnes of copper ore per day, while the output from its underground operations is about 80,000 tonnes.
Freeport has been drawing on stocks to keep up overseas shipments during the production shutdown.
Image: Freeport’s Grasberg mine was closed on 15 May after the first tunnel collapse killed 28 people.
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