Protest actions have begun just outside the Batam, Indonesia shipyard of ASL Marine as the company faces criticism for its actions in the wake of a deadly incident that occurred earlier this month.
The protesters are clamouring for ASL to properly enforce occupational safety and health protocols following an explosion that occurred on a vessel undergoing repairs at the Batam yard on October 15.
The incident occurred on board the floating storage and offloading unit (FSO) Federal II. Initial reports stated that ten people were killed, though the death toll has since risen to 13.
An earlier explosion had already occurred on the same FSO in June while it was undergoing repairs at ASL's Batam yard. Four people were killed while another five suffered injuries.
A group known as the Batam People's Coalition told local media that it will continue to hold protest actions at various locations throughout Batam to express solidarity with the ASL shipyard workers and to urge the Indonesian Government to go after companies that are negligent in enforcing operational safety measures.
One of the organisers has called on ASL to temporarily cease operations at its Batam yard to allow local authorities to conduct a more thorough investigation into last week's deadly explosion.