15 June, 2020IndustriALL Global Union and its affiliates observe a concerning trend against workers in the operations of US-based tyre-maker Goodyear worldwide. This includes unilateral decisions on plant closures, bad faith bargaining practices, dismissal of workers without justified reasons, violation of fundamental rights and disrespect of industrial relations.
The latest violation is 44 trade union members sacked in Indonesia, with no reason given, and no legal process followed.
The 44 workers are members of the IndustriALL affiliated Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mining, Oil and Gas Workers’ Union, FSP KEP. The Goodyear factory in Bogor employs around 1,000 people, including 300 contract workers. The 44 union members are permanent employees.
FSP KEP General Secretary Bambang Surjono says:
“We need International solidarity to support our effort against Goodyear Management in Indonesia to lay off union members without correct procedure.”
The FSP KEP committee at the Bogor Goodyear factory interprets the mass dismissal as union busting, and demands that as a multinational company, Goodyear should follow the national law, and international labour standards.
The relevant act of the Indonesian labour law, called Manpower law No. 13, 2013, article 151 states that for a union member to be laid off, there must be consultation with the union representative. If there is no agreement in this consultation, the company can only terminate the work contract after a confirmatory decision from the Industrial Relations Labour Court.
In this case in Bogor, there is no agreement between the union and management and no decision from the Labour Court.
Management has announced its intention to meet personally with each of the dismissed 52 workers. This is another violation of the law, this time the relevant part of Indonesian labour law is called the Worker Union Law no. 21, 2000 article 28.
FSP KEP is calling on Goodyear to urgently review its layoff practice, act within the law, and the international mechanisms such as the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and reverse this mass dismissal immediately.
IndustriALL affiliates representing Goodyear workers are facing increased hostility from management currently in Indonesia, Turkey, Mexico and elsewhere. The company was already facing tough financial difficulties before the current pandemic forced a massive slowdown to the global tire industry.
IndustriALL rubber sector director Tom Grinter says:
“We will never accept that workers are made to pay for Goodyear’s current problems. Industrial peace and respectful relations with worker representatives are what management needs to confront the challenge.”
UPDATE: This article was updated on 29 September 2020 to correct the number of workers who were fired. The original article said 52. The correct number is 44.