Perwirasatu.co.id, Jakarta - A final and binding Supreme Court ruling has been blantly disregarded by Newmont Corporation and its subsidiary PT Nusa Halmahera Mineral (NHM), as they continue to refuse paying severance to over 735 former workers at the Gosowong gold mine in North Halmahera, North Maluku. 

Many of these workers, having dedicated over two decades to the operation, are now urging the Indonesian government to take decisive action. 

The dispute has exhausted all legal avenues in Indonesia, centering on the Supreme Court’s final and binding ruling (No. 734 K/Pdt.Sus-PHI/2024) explicitly ordering NHM to pay compensation. 

Despite this, Newmont issued a public statement making no mention of the ruling, instead claiming labor obligations fall to the current mine owners and operators. 

Legal experts are outraged, calling Newmont’s stance a blatant disregard for Indonesian law. 

“Ignoring a Supreme Court ruling undermines the authority of the legal 

system. Severance pay is a fundamental workers’ right and cannot be dismissed for business reasons or by pretending to ignore a court ruling,” said Husendro, a human rights lawyer. 

The workers, represented by the SPSI Labor Union, estimate unpaid severance totals over Rp100 billion. 

“We’ve pursued every legal avenue, but payments remain outstanding,” said Rusli Gailea, Chairman of SPSI at PT NHM. 

Amidst the ongoing deadlock, workers are demanding the Indonesian government firmly enforce the Supreme Court’s ruling against Newmont. 

“If even a Supreme Court ruling can be ignored, where is legal certainty for ordinary people? We’re not asking for special treatment – we’re asking for what the highest court has clearly stated is owed to us,” concluded a workers’ representative.

(PS/FC)