TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's Ministry of Manpower (Kemnaker) is concerned about another workplace accident that occurred in the area of the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP).

On Sunday, February 16, 2025, Marjan Daud, a worker at PT Ocean Sky Metal Industry (OSMI), one of the companies operating in the IMIP area, died in a workplace after being crushed by a 150-kilogram material.

The Director of the Labor Inspection System at Kemnaker, Yuli Adiratna, expressed that workplace accidents have been the main concern of the government. "We are certainly saddened that such incidents continue to occur," Yuli told Tempo at the Ministry of Manpower office in Jakarta on Wednesday, February 19, 2025.

According to Yuli, the nickel and steel industry in the PT IMIP area is a sector with a high risk of workplace accidents. However, there are several factors that influence the level of risk, such as negligence at work and the lack of supervision by the company.

Yuli stated that Kemnaker will make efforts to prevent recurring accidents by reducing these risks. "We encourage our colleagues in the nearby areas, labor inspectors, to work together with companies and other stakeholders to ensure that all companies implement occupational safety and health," said Yuli.

Yuli claimed that Kemnaker will ensure that the victims of the workplace accident at PT OSMI will receive their rights in accordance with the laws and regulations. "Including compensation for the deceased worker's heirs," said Yuli.

He stated that workplace accidents must be prevented because of their detrimental nature to all parties involved. Apart from the workers and their families, Yuli believes that workplace incidents can also damage the country's reputation.

"The reputation of the country can also be affected. We must make sure that this benefits Indonesia, in particular," he said.

Yuli mentioned that industrial growth should not come at the expense of workers' welfare. "Of course, the economy can grow, but there must be no violations of labor rights. We must ensure that workers are protected and that businesses can grow sustainably."

The Morowali Industrial Workers Union-Confederation of the Indonesian Labor Union (SPIM-KPBI) previously mentioned that the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) system at PT IMIP is chaotic and demanded that the management be held accountable for the death of a worker in one of their tenants.

The Secretary-General of SPIM-KPBI, Komang Jordi Segara, regretted the recent incident of a worker from PT OSMI's death on the past Sunday, and accused the company of negligence in ensuring safety in the workplace.

"Fatalities like this often occur, but there is no serious improvement by the area owner, PT IMIP. There are no concrete steps from the management, while victims continue to fall," said Komang.

SPIM-KPBI also staged a protest on February 18, 2025, in the PT IMIP area to protest the recurring workplace accidents. In response to the allegations from SPIM-KPBI, PT IMIP's Media Relations Dedy Kurniawan released an official statement expressing regret over the incident, but also lamenting the insufficiently informed statements from the union.

The company reported that the victim was taken to the company clinic but could not be saved. The victim's rights are now being processed and will soon be given to the family.

Dinda Shabrina and Dani Aswara contributed to the writing of this article.

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