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Urgent Appeals
Two Years on PT Busana Prima Global Workers
Still Seeking Jobs
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In 2003-2004 the international campaign to push for the
reinstatement of workers unjustly dismissed for union activities
at PT Busana Prima Global (PT BPG), Indonesia, put pressure
on factory management and Focus Far East - the main buying
agent sourcing from the factory - to ensure that a credible
and independent factory investigation took place as soon
as possible. Sportswear brands Le Coq Sportif, Lotto, and
Head were also targeted by CCC to take responsibility for
conditions at their supplier.
Workers at PT Busana Prima Global. |
Following talks between the Clean Clothes Campaign, Oxfam
Australia and Focus Far East (FFE), an independent investigator
was selected to research conditions at the factory, starting
at the end of 2004.
The independent investigator conducted interviews with
workers, GSBI union representatives, management and local
officials to gain a better understanding of the labour conflict
that started at the PT BPG factory in 2003. On March 31,
2005, an assessment report was completed.
The investigation revealed numerous problems at the
factory, including:
-
serious violations of freedom of association
and the right to organise unions;
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health and safety violations including
unhygienic drinking water taken from the boiler machine
and lack of medical officers qualified in health and safety
in the factory;
-
unpaid and compulsory overtime on a regular
basis - contrary to Indonesian law;
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workers too intimidated to take menstrual
leave;
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workers forced to resign or quit rather
than take leave for annual holidays, sickness or family
reasons; and
-
though the July 2003 strike was found
to be illegal, it was found to be the result of systematic
(and illegal) discrimination against union members by
management.
Since April 2005, Focus Far East has been negotiating with
the managers of the PT BPG factory to implement all recommendations
contained within the report. However, five months later,
as this newsletter went to print, little progress has been
made. The PT BPG factory managers seem unwilling to resolve
the key and core human rights issues of freedom of association
and the right to organise. The factory managers have been
stalling on the reinstatement of the four dismissed union
leaders and the 30 workers who are union members, all who
want their jobs back.
Since the report was completed PT BPG management communicated
to FFE that they would reinstate the 30 workers, however
not only have they not done this, they have instead apparently
had PT BPG supervisors organise workers inside the factory
to sign a petition opposing the reinstatements.
In light of the investigator's findings and recommendations,
as well as current developments in the case, the Clean Clothes
Campaign and allies working on the PT BPG case have called
upon the factory owner and management to:
-
immediately reinstate the unjustly dismissed
four union leaders and 30 workers who are union members;
-
allow workers to freely exercise their
rights to free association and collective bargaining,
and
-
implement all the recommendations contained
within the independent report in full.
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