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30 April, 2014On 15 April, IndustriALL Assistant General Secretary Fernando Lopes met with the Indonesia National Council in Jakarta to discuss the five IndustriALL goals that guide its activities world-wide to: build union power; confront multinational companies; combat trade union rights’ violations; battle against precarious work; and fight for a sustainable industrial policy.
The plenary meeting, which had a strong 50 per cent participation of women, carried out a lively debate.
Brother Shaiful, chair of the Indonesia Council, highlighted the fact that IndustriALL’s affiliates in Indonesia together represent over 1 million workers. The country’s trade unions are at the forefront of massive mobilizations and the struggles for a minimum wage, social protection and permanent jobs. He added that: “Standing united in our campaigns makes a real difference when we need to mobilize and put pressure on the Indonesian Government to respect workers’ rights.”
As this meeting occurred just two weeks before the first Asia Pacific Regional Conference, which will take place in Bangkok from 14-16 May, it was a great opportunity to discuss how to implement the IndustriALL agenda and strategies in the region.
At the Council gathering, a delegation of union leaders from FSP2KI whose members went on strike against APP (Asia Pulp and Paper) on 27 February and again on 24 March, also met with IndustriALL representatives. The FSP2KI leaders reported that management at the company has hardened its position and has recently forbidden 17 union officials from entering the paper plant and meeting with workers. There are fears that these union officials will be sacked, while the company is intimidating the workers inside the plant demanding they withdraw from FSP2KI and form a yellow (company-controlled) union.
On 14-15 April an evaluation was carried out with Lomenik & FSPMI to jointly assess the advances of the organizing project that both affiliates from the metal sector have been implementing since 2012. Our affiliates have organized around 12,000 members from the metal sector during the last year and joined forces to mobilize and campaign for the implementation of social security, minimum wages and to combat precarious work.
IndustriALL’s assistant general secretary, Fernando Lopes, said:
“This project shows that when unions work hard, they strength their position, not only by growing in numbers and building their capacity to mobilize, but also by being able to exert greater influence over companies; strengthen national centres and build alliances with civil society.”
IndustriALL is now in discussion with its Finnish affiliates to expand the organizing project to include other IndustriALL affiliates in Indonesia.
On 15 April, Annie Adviento, regional secretary of IndustriALL’s South East Asia Office, had a fruitful meeting with the newly elected leadership of textile union, SPN, further consolidating unity and cooperation among Indonesian affiliates.