12 December, 2008At least nine FSPMI members were injured and three detained by the police during a demonstration for increase of minimum wages.
INDONESIA: On Thursday, December 10, 2008 about 15,000 members of the IMF affiliated Federation of Indonesian Metal Workers' Union (FSPMI) demonstrated in front of the Governor Kepulauan Riau and Regent offices in Batam - a free trade zone area notoriously known with the spread of precarious employment - demanding to raise minimum wages eroded by rising living costs.
During the rally the police attacked the demonstrators trying to block them. At least nine persons including one woman were injured and hospitalised. The police also detained three FSPMI members and the union now tries to negotiate their release.
"We are shocked to learn that instead of listening to workers' demands the authorities used the police to block violently the demonstrators," said Marcello Malentacchi, IMF General Secretary, in his letter to Kepulauan Riau Governor and Batam Regent.
He also urged the Indonesian officials "to stop victimising Batam workers for the sake of attraction of new investors and to meet their demands about increase of minimum wages," and recommended them "to release the detained demonstrators and to do everything possible to prevent further impoverishment of the workers of Indonesia."
The IMF calls on its affiliates to support FSPMI by sending letters of protest to the Governor of Kepulauan Riau and Batam Regent with the demands to stop repressions, to release the detained unionists and to start negotiations with the union representatives regarding the increase of minimum wages.
Below, please, find the contact details where you can send your letters of protest:
Mr. Ismet Abdulah
Governor of Kepulauan Riau
Fax +62 771 311333 or +62 771 318611.
Mr. Achmad Dahlan
Regent of Batam,
Fax +62 778 466743
Please, send copies of your letters of protest to the IMF [email protected] or fax +41 22 308 50 55
and
Federasi Serikat Pekerja Metal Indonesia - FSPMI
(Federation of Indonesian Metal Workers' Union)
Fax: +62/21 841 3954
E-mail: [email protected]
UPDATE
According to the information received from FSPMI by Sunday, December 14, 2008 the three detained unionists were released.