28 April, 2009
A three year women's organizing project, developed by the International Metalworkers' Federation has led to greater increases in the number of women members, shop stewards and leaders of Serikat Pekerja Metal Indonesia (SPMI).
Women's membership increases
Widespread precarious employment conditions has resulted in rapid turnover of women workers. However, SPMI managed to increase the number of women members from 29,780 in 2003 to 42,272 in 2006 by organizing new plants and enlisting others into the union.
SPMI also focused on changing its union structures to enable increased participation of women. At its Congress in December 2006, SPMI adopted new rules to allow for a minimum of 30 per cent representation of women at all levels of the union and elected women onto its National Board for the first time.
The number of women leaders at the branch level also increased from 18 per cent in 2003 (8 out of 43) to 25 per cent in 2006 (27 out of 108). In addition, SPMI established a Women's Directorate to cater for the needs of women members.
This IMF project was funded by the Swedish trade union centre LO-TCO and supported by IMF affiliates Sif and IF Metall.