Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. (FCX) isn't likely to resume supplies from its Grasberg mine in eastern Indonesia soon, as a senior official said Tuesday that it hasn't yet repaired pipes used to transport concentrates, while a labor dispute at the mine remains unresolved.

"Fixing the concentrate pipes will take a long time," Chief Administration Officer Shinta Sirait told a news conference, without providing a timeframe. "The force majeure will remain in place until we can send concentrates to buyers."

Freeport's local unit has declared a force majeure on concentrate shipments from the Grasberg mine since Oct. 22, Sirait said.

Also, workers at the world's third-largest copper mine have been on strike since Sept. 15, demanding a significant hike in the minimum wage of about $1.50 an hour. They also held an eight-day strike in July.

Sirait said the strike has led to daily losses of $18 million-$19 million for Freeport and about $8 million for the government.

The company last held wage talks on Oct. 21 and offered a minimum monthly wage of IDR11 million (around $1,200), which would be raised to IDR19 million next year.

But the workers are demanding a minimum wage of $7.50 an hour or about IDR78 million a month, Sirait said.

-By Deden Sudrajat, contributing to Dow Jones Newswires; 62 21 39831277; andreasismar.sandiwan@dowjones.com

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