Indonesian syndicalists fight for justice at PT Garmindo Jaya KNH

Indonesian anarchosyndicalist comrades of the Workers Power Syndicate and other fellow workers face retribution including sackings for attempting to organise in response to various labour law violations and other summary behaviour at PT Garmindo Jaya KNH, a garment company in Bogor, West Java.

Submitted by ites on September 30, 2012

PT Garmindo Jaya KNH is a garment company in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia, with approximately 700 workers (women and men).

Here a lot of labour law violations occur; the KNH don't comply with them. These are some of the offenses they have committed:

1. Working hours are more than 12 hours
2. Overtime wages that do not comply with the regulations
3. Agreements that are unclear.

The Workers Power Syndicate tried to make the workers of the KNH aware of the oppression. We started holding discussions in the beginning with 6 workers. After this discussion more labour comrades there began to realise what was happening, and there was a great follow-up discussion.

On Saturday 22 September 2012, we met with 50 people, and at the KNH our friends became aware of the need for an organisation to fight for the rights of those who are constrained by the factory.

After the discussion, on September 25, 2012 one of the labourers KNH named Patrisia Rumiati was called by the head of human resources. KNH chief personnel questioned her about the discussion at Christmas, and then when she explained the intent of the discussion, the chief of personnel was angered, assuming that the union was the provocateur. Then the labor force signed a letter of resignation.

Labor's comrades present at the discussions were called to face the head of human resources, as well as experienced friend Sumiati Patrisia they were interrogated. Finally they were forced to sign an agreement not to organise or establish a union at the factory, and if they violated this told they will be put in jail.

The factory workers using bags were also searched in the presence of soldiers. This made our friends very frightened because they did not understand why, or about the laws that are said to apply.

We ask for support in addressing this matter whether through mass action or position statements.

Bogor, September 29, 2012

Workers Power Syndicate comrades can be contacted via freak-zone at live.com.
The WPS is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/workerspowersyndicate/

Comments

tan malaka

12 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by tan malaka on September 30, 2012

I hope all of the world will support us to fight PT. Garmindo Jaya KNH

Mark.

12 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Mark. on September 30, 2012

I just googled 'workers power syndicate' as I hadn't heard of it before and came up with this. Is the video anything to do with the dispute at PT Garmindo Jaya KNH?

[youtube]WyaVZA7ts0Y[/youtube]

syndicalist

12 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by syndicalist on September 30, 2012

I was trying to read one of their members tweets in Indonesian.....but it's hard to read, as its not very similiar to tagalog.

I've not heard of this organization either. But I do recall a few years back, there being some syndicalist group in Indonesia (we never had any real contact with them, for whatever reason)> maybe these are the same folks or have lineage to them, I dunno know.

syndicalist

12 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by syndicalist on October 2, 2012

Any follow-up to this? I'm very interested.

Accrding to this site: http://www.marxist.com/indonesia-first-general-strike-in-50-years.htm there will be a general strike on October 3rd.

ites

12 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by ites on October 3, 2012

Update 11.43am, 3 Oct 2012.

1. We just get info that all PT. Garmindo Jaya KNH with WPS organizer went to strike and join the the first general strike in Indonesia after 50 years of repression...

2. All WPS members in several different cities are now in the street working hand-in-hand with workers...or in some cases with comrades in their own factory..

3. We're gladly to inform all the workers and anarcho-syndicalist around the world that milions of workers around this archipelago, are taking to the street....

syndicalist

12 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by syndicalist on October 9, 2012

Any additional info would be great.

I've mainly got stuff from Trot and labor sources. Here's another one from the IMT website:
http://www.marxist.com/indonesia-one-million-on-strike-2012.htm

indonesiasindikalis

12 years 2 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by indonesiasindikalis on October 14, 2012

update:

I got a good news that our comrade Patrisia Rumiati who got fired 2-3 three weeks ago from PT. KNH, had been fully rehabilitated and given back all of her rights, including payment while not working. She started to work again in the same factory since last week. And even though there's no formal agreement, it's clear now that PT. KNH/company has learned a lot that they can't stop workers to create their union....so in the next one or two weeks there will be a workers gathering again in PT.KNH, this time to continue forming a union.

Patrisia also already went to Workers Power Syndicate gathering last Friday...and reported this her self....

jayalah anarki....
viva la anarchi!!!

syndicalist

11 years 11 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by syndicalist on December 19, 2012

Any updated info on the Indonesian Syndicalists? Seems like FB page is down.

syndicalist

11 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by syndicalist on March 6, 2013

Whatever happened?

indonesiasindikalis

11 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by indonesiasindikalis on March 17, 2013

hi,

Our page is still on : WPS facebook page and still up...as for today 17/3/2013, we'll have our first regional meeting at central factory complex in Gresik city, eastern part of Java Island, Indonesia. We'll write some report after today...keep the fight...