Update and action request PT Busana Prima Global

Sept 2005, Dear Friends,

The Clean Clothes Campaign would like to thank everyone who sent letters to PT Busana Prima Global (PT BPG) Bogor, Indonesia and Focus Far East (a buyer for different brands sourcing at PT BPG) following our last public action request on this case in May 2004. Your letters were an important factor in urging the factory owner to agree to allow an independent investigation to assess labour practices at the factory. That investigation was carried out and serious rights violations were documented. Since then management has failed to sufficiently remediate these problems in a timely manner, and therefore the CCC is again calling for action on this case. It is now more than two years (!) that the PT BPG workers have been calling for justice - please take a few minutes to adapt and send a letter of protest to factory management (see sample letter below).

Take action Now! >>

BACKGROUND AND UPDATE

In 2003-2004 the international campaign to push for the reinstatement of PT BPG workers unjustly dismissed for union activities 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. Following talks between the Clean Clothes Campaign, Oxfam Australia and Focus Far East, 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 labor conflict that started at the PT BPG factory in 2003. On March 31, 2005, an assessment report was completed. To read the full report please see:

152kb) Assessment of PT Busana Prima Global Gunung Putri, Bogor Indonesia - March 31, 2005 - Mr. Fransiskus X. Supiarso - Independent Investigator

The investigation revealed numerous problems at the factory. Including:

• Serious violations of freedom of association and the right to organise unions;

• 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;

• Workers too intimidated to take menstrual leave;

• 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 BPG factory to implement all recommendations contained within the report. However four months later very little progress has been made.

The 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.

For example: factory managers initially stated they could not find the workers to ask them if they wanted their jobs back. This is unlikely to be true, because recently when an Oxfam Australia staff person was working in Indonesia for a few days they were able to quickly make contact with many of the workers management claimed they could not find.

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 had PT BPG supervisors organize 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 has called upon the factory owner and management to:

1. immediately reinstate the unjustly dismissed four union leaders and 30 workers who are union members;
2. allow workers to freely exercise their rights to free association and collective bargaining, and
3. implement all the recommendations contained within the independent report in full.

The factory currently produces for various brands including Head, Le Coq Sportif, Ecko and Bear USA. Unless there is immediate progress on this case, the CCC will be launching an appeal to contact brands sourcing at PT BPG to take action on this case.

For more background information on this case, please see previous updates on the CCC website http://www.cleanclothes.org/urgent/04-05-18.htm.

Please voice your displeasure with the current state of affairs at PT BPG! Contact PT BPG management today and urge them to immediately reinstate the 30 dismissed workers and the four dismissed union leaders, and to fully implement the recommendations contained within the independent investigation report. Please take a few minutes to adapt and send the sample letter below.

Mr. Jae Han Park
President Director
Busana Prima Global
Jl. Mercedes Benz N. 223 A
Desa Cicadas
Kecamatan Gunung Putri-Bogor
Jawa Barat
Indonesia 16964

E-mail: busana @bpg.co.id

BPG Co. Ltd.
3f, Songho Bldg
605-23 Yeoksam-Dong
Kangnam-Ku, Seoul, Korea
Fax: 82-2-5386231

Dear Mr. Park,

I am very disappointed to learn that you have yet to reinstate the workers who were unjustly dismissed from PT Busana Prima Global Gunung Putri (PT BPG-GP) in July 2003. I believe that these workers were fired in order to stop workers from organizing to voice their concerns about problematic working conditions at PT BPG-GP. I strongly support workers' right to organize and therefore urge you to reinstate these workers immediately.

I have been informed by the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) that an independent investigation into working conditions at PT BGP-GP carried out earlier this year found serious violations against freedom of association and the right to organise unions; systematic (and illegal) discrimination against union members by management; violations of health and safety; unpaid and compulsory overtime on a regular basis - contrary to Indonesian law; workers too intimidated to take menstrual leave; and workers forced to resign or quit rather than take leave for annual holidays, sickness or family reasons. Not only is this unacceptable, but it is also very discouraging that several months after the report on this investigation was finalized, these violations of workers' rights have not been suitably addressed by your management team. Why have you not taken sufficient action to bring the PT BGP-GP workplace into compliance with good labor standards?

Please demonstrate that you take these concerns seriously and:

1. Reinstate the 30 dismissed workers and four dismissed union leaders without any further delay,
2. Fully implement the recommendations contained within the independent investigation report, and
3. Ensure that workers are able to freely exercise their rights to free association and collective bargaining.

I hope that you will get back to me soon to let me know of positive action you have taken to resolve this matter.

Sincerely,

Please send copies of your letters and of any responses you receive to the Clean Clothes Campaign