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26 July, 2011
Trade unionists of SPPTTEL, part of ICEM affiliate FSP2KI in Indonesia, began a strike today and they need your support. The strike is over bullying and bargaining table intimidation by management of PT Tanjung Enim Lestari, almost totally owned by the Marubeni Corp. of Japan.
The ICEM today sent a protest letter to mill managers. Please copy all of the letter or better yet, put your own few words into effect and send to the mill management team. Tell them how you feel about threats and intimidation of legitimate shop-floor union representatives.
The situation is this: collective negotiations began in late June and continued on 12 July and 15 July. They were done in tripartite fashion with involvement from the local government of South Sumatra. But the company managers named above completely stonewalled any movement toward agreement, instead threatening the union committee with termination if they continued their persistence for a collective contract. These managers also threatened layoffs and stated that if paperworkers went on strike, police force would be used.
Today, 26 July, began the first day of the strike. SPPTTEL is expected to continue the strike through to 30 July.
As well, please cut and paste the following support message and send to the unions involved and SPPTTEL union leader below:
We have heard of your strike at PT Tanjung Enim Lestari and we offer you our full support and solidarity. Please let all the workers know they have the support of out union. (signed)
The solidarity messages should go to SPPTTEL and FSP2KI.
PT Tanjung Enim Lestari is a market pulp mill that employs about 1,000 workers and produces 450,000 metric tonnes per year of market pulp.