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More info:
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| In
the Netherlands, on December 4th the
office of MeesPierson – the investment
bank that operates as the country’s
representative for sports brand Head
– was targeted by a team of 30
activists. Read
more >> |
Please keep supporting
the 170 young Indonesians in the PT Busana
Prima Global factory who dared to stand up
for their rights.
23 Oct 2003 -
They have been denied their jobs since 16
July this year. For three months, almost
all of them have had no income at all. In
July they held a 4-day strike, demanding
that their employer respect Indonesia's
minimum wage laws and bring an end to harassment
and intimidation in their workplace. He
responded by dismissing them.
They work in a factory called PT Busana,
producing sportswear for European and US
brands-including Le Coq Sportif, Bear USA,
Lotto and Head-and for football teams like
Manchester United. The CCC continues to
pressure for their reinstatement and the
respect of their human rights.
Please take two minutes
to sign on to the web petition
to these brands. Your support will make
a difference!"
"I was extremely exhausted
and tired one time when we had to work
overtime into the night, until 6 AM
in the morning. I felt dizzy and fainted
from the exhaustion. I was brought into
the factory clinic where I rested on
the clinic bed...When I woke up the
nurse gave me water and some food, but
as soon as I finished eating she told
me to go back to work because there
is so much work to do."
(20-year-old woman who works at PT Busana) |
 Workers
legal and human rights are not respected
in PT Busana. Contract workers are forced
to work overtime without being paid. All
workers in the factory are forced to work
overtime at short notice, irrespective of
whether they need to look after their children
or have other responsibilities.
Safety measures in the factory are so poor
that serious needle-stick injuries occur
at least once a day. Such accidents often
involve the sewing needles going right through
a workers' finger. Workers report that in
such cases the medical treatment is always
inadequate. The needle is pulled out, iodine
is put on the finger, and the woman is told
to return to work.
"The only way that the problems
can end is if we build power among ourselves
to change our conditions and treatment.
And the only way we can really do this
is by forming a union."
(30-year-old woman who works at PT Busana) |
 The
factory had a union but it was much closer
to factory management than it was to workers.
On 19 May 2003 workers at the factory organised
a one-day strike to protest against factory
conditions. Then on 1 June, 900 workers
at the factory formed their own union.
Management did all it could to change their
minds. It tried to stop them from distributing
union forms. It tried to stop them from
collecting fees. Some of the new union's
leaders were demoted to low paid, menial
jobs. Then, one after another, the new union's
leaders were not allowed to come to work
at all, and the factory started legal processes
to formally dismiss them
On 11 July, 300 workers went on strike
to demand legal wages and conditions and
an end to intimidation of union members.
The factory arranged for police to be stationed
on the factory buses, and the police directly
escorted those workers who relied on the
buses for transport to their factory lines,
preventing them for taking part in the strike.
For those workers who did take part in the
strike it was an emotional experience.
"...we kept our willpower
strong through our...friendships with
each other. Many of our parents also
supported us by coming to us with food
and water during our all-night sit-ins
in front of the various buildings. This
really touched our hearts. That even
our parents were struggling with us,
taking public transportation as far
as 1½ to 2 hours one-way to give
us food and water that will last the
night."
(27-year-old woman who works at PT Busana) |
 Those
workers who did take part in the strike
were pressured to return to work, and between
12 July and 15 July more than a hundred
did return. On 15 July the Indonesian Ministry
of Labour mediated a meeting between management
and worker representatives and it was agreed
that the company would allow those workers
who were still on strike to return to work
at the factory on the following day.
When those workers turned up for work at
7am on the following day security guards
prevented then from entering the factory
and they were told to assemble in the factory
yard and made to wait for several hours.
Subsequently, factory representatives falsely
accused two of the workers of an act of
violence, and they were taken to the police
station for interrogation. The other workers
who had been on strike followed them to
the police station to show their support
for the workers who had been accused.
 Now
they believe the accusations were a trick
to get them to leave the factory. No charges
were laid against the accused workers, but
that afternoon the factory management dismissed
166 of the workers on the basis of an Indonesian
law that allows workers to be dismissed
if they fail to turn up to work for five
days in a row.
The local branch of the Indonesian Ministry
of Manpower has supported the factory's
decision to fire all the workers. Unfortunately
corruption is rife in Indonesia and local
officials cannot be relied upon to make
impartial decisions. The workers have appealed
the decision, but the court system can take
up to two years to resolve cases like this,
and these women and men need their jobs
back now.
"...the management illegally
dismissed all of us who participated
in the strike. Since then, we have not
been able to work, we have received
no severance pay, no child support,
no benefits. None at all. It is very
hard for us right now to support ourselves,
let alone our families. That is why
we really hope that the international
campaign can help us."
(27-year-old woman who works at PT Busana) |
Petition (closed
on 18th of May 2004)
The following webpetition
was faxed to the Chief Executive Officers
of Bear USA, Le Coq Sportif, Lotto and Head
on the 18th of may 2004. More than 1750
groups and individuals have signed the folowing
statement:
Statement:
For: The Chief Executive Officers of Bear
USA, Le Coq Sportif, Lotto and Head.
Dear Sirs/Madams,
Please take action to ensure that the young
Indonesian women and men who have had the
courage to stand up for their rights are
allowed to return to work at the PT Busana
factory.
-
No one should have to put up with intimidation
and harassment in the work-place.
-
No one should have to work in a dangerous
and unsafe environment.
-
No one should be forced to work unpaid
overtime, or be paid illegally low wages.
I know that the owner of the PT Busana
factory claims that his dismissal of the
workers is legal because they failed to
turn up for work for five consecutive work-days.
Direct testimony from numerous workers at
the factory indicates that they turned up
for work on the morning of the fifth day,
but the factory manager refused to allow
them to enter the factory.
In any case, for the first four days they
were on strike and protesting legitimate
grievances. The right to strike is included
in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
and should be respected by all employers.
These workers' produce
garments for your brand. I urge you to take
responsibility for the working conditions
in which your clothes are made, by ensuring
that these workers are reinstated and that
human rights are respected in the factory.
This case is extremely urgent. Most of
the dismissed workers have now been without
income for months and are struggling to
feed themselves and their dependents. Please
reply promptly, outlining the steps your
company is taking to ensure that they can
return to work under just circumstances.
Sincerely,
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