Indonesia: e ora scriviamo a Nike - Clean Clothes Campaign

["Ersilia Monti" <ersilia.monti@mclink.it>]

IN INDONESIA SCIOPERARE NON SARA' PIU' UN DIRITTO : ORA SCRIVIAMO A NIKE
(questa volta per email) - Clean Clothes Campaign
(aggiornamenti sul caso distribuito alla lista il 5 settembre 2002 -
informazioni ricevute dall'Indonesian National Front for Labour Struggle
(FNPBI), Nikewatch Campaign e da SISBIKUM)

Continuano in Indonesia le manifestazioni di protesta contro l'ipotesi di
riforma della legge del lavoro che minaccia di cancellare i diritti
faticosamente conquistati dai lavoratori indonesiani negli anni del dopo
Suharto. Il parlamento offre un tavolo di dialogo fra le parti ma non
convince i sindacati. Intanto Nike si prepara a lasciare senza lavoro 7 mila
persone.

Incollate e spedite per email un messaggio di protesta a Nike e un messaggio
di solidarieta' ai lavoratori indonesiani. L'indirizzo email dell'ambasciata
indonesiana indicato dal segretariato della CCC non funziona. Vi aggiornero'
nei prossimi giorni.

LA PROPOSTA DI LEGGE, IL COMPORTAMENTO DI NIKE

Se entrera' in vigore, la nuova legge estendera' il ricorso al lavoro
precario e ridurra' il salario degli apprendisti, esentera' il governo dall'
obbligo di mediare nelle controversie fra lavoratori e imprenditori,
cancellera' il diritto di sciopero che diventera' un reato punibile con pene
detentive fino a 6 mesi e multe da 10 a 50 milioni di rupie (pari a
1100-5600 euro) (i dati mi sembrano piu' plausibili dei 4 anni e dei 45 mila
euro indicati nel messaggio precedente), ridurra' i problemi del lavoro a
'problemi di organizzazione industriale' ignorandone le implicazioni piu'
vaste, cioe' il legame con la politica del governo e le pressioni degli
istituti finanziari internazionali, impedira' ai sindacati di difendere i
lavoratori nelle sedi legali, elminera' diritti fondamentali delle
lavoratrici come l'astensione dal lavoro retribuita per maternita' o durante
il ciclo mestruale. Per contrastare l'introduzione della proposta di legge
si e' costituito in Indonesia il Comitato contro l'oppressione dei
lavoratori (KAPB) formato da venti fra sigle sindacali e organizzazioni
democratiche che hanno dato vita a ripetute manifestazioni di protesta fra
agosto e settembre, nel corso delle quali diversi lavoratori sono stati
arrestati e due feriti da colpi di pistola sparati dalle forze dell'ordine.
Lunedi' scorso il parlamento si e' detto disposto ad aprire un tavolo di
dialogo fra le parti sociali per trovare un accordo sugli articoli piu'
controversi della riforma, ma i sindacati chiedono che il provvedimento nel
suo complesso venga cancellato in quanto lesivo degli interessi e dei
diritti fondamentali dei lavoratori.
Intanto i 7 mila operai/operaie della PT Doson, fornitore monomarca di Nike,
saranno lasciati a ottobre in mezzo a una strada dalla multinazionale
americana che ha deciso di spostare le sue commesse altrove, presumibilmente
in paesi politicamente piu' tranquilli e con livelli salariali piu' bassi, e
si uniranno cosi' ai 40 milioni di indonesiani gia' senza lavoro. Nike si
dice disposta a venire incontro ai lavoratori, molti dei quali iscritti al
sindacato,  pagando le spese mediche per un periodo di tempo non precisato e
fornendo microcredito a chi voglia avviare piccole attivita' autonome, ma
rifiuta di corrispondere l'indennita' di licenziamento prevista dalla legge
indonesiana che il titolare della fabbrica non e' in grado di versare. I
lavoratori della PT Doson ci chiedono di inviare un messaggio a Nike per
sollecitarla ad assumersi le sue responsabilita' (vedi il testo piu' sotto).
Nel 1996, quando ancora il paese era sotto la dittatura di Suharto e non
esistevano sindacati liberi, il 38% delle scarpe sportive di Nike proveniva
dall'Indonesia. Negli anni del difficile passaggio alla democrazia e all'
affermazione dei diritti sindacali che hanno portato anche a consistenti
aumenti dei minimi salariali, la quota di produzione assegnata all'Indonesia
e' scesa al 30% e, secondo stime del Wall Street Journal, potrebbe toccare
il 26% a ottobre quando saranno rescissi i rapporti commerciali con la PT
Doson. Attualmente oltre la meta' dell'intera produzione di scarpe sportive
Nike proviene da paesi dove costituire sindacati democratici puo' comportare
l'arresto o l'internamento in campi di lavoro forzato (Nike non ha ancora
risposto alla domanda se intende trasferire le commesse della PT Doson a
paesi come la Cina). E' immaginabile che Nike non resti un caso isolato:
secondo le previstioni della camera di commercio coreana, riportate dal Wall
Street Journal del 9 settembre, i recenti aumenti dei minimi salariali
avranno per effetto l'emigrazione di massa dall'Indonesia degli operatori
sudcoreani.

SCRIVI A NIKE

(in estrema sintesi la traduzione del testo da inviare: apprendo che a
ottobre 7 mila lavoratori della PT Doson, molti dei quali iscritti al
sindacato, perderanno il lavoro a causa del taglio del vostre commesse.
Esprimo disappunto per la vostra decisione, per il rifiuto di corrispondere
le spettanze di legge, per non aver ancora reso noto se intendete trasferire
la produzione in paesi dove vigono minori diritti sindacali. Vi chiedo di
ripensarci e comunque di garantire ai lavoratori cio' che spetta loro di
diritto).


Maria Eitel,
Vice-President for Corporate Responsibility
Nike Inc.
Continuous.Improvement@nike.com
copia a:  timc@sydney.caa.org.au


Dear Ms Eitel,

I am writing to bring your attention to the plight of workers at the PT
Doson factory in Indonesia. I understand that in October this year all 7,000
workers from the factory will lose their jobs as a result of Nikecutting its
orders to the factory. I understand that although Nike is willing to provide
some support for those workers, your company is not willing to take
responsibility for ensuring that they receive their full legal entitlements.
I also understand that Nike has so far not been willing to say whether this
decision will result in more of Nike's production moving to countries where
workers can be imprisoned or sent to forced labour camps for attempting to
assert their right to form independent, democratic unions.
In this context I am particularly disappointed that Nike is effectively
shutting down a factory where most of the workers are union members.
I urge your company to change its mind, and to continue placing orders at PT
Doson. If you do not do so, at the very least Nike should ensure that they
receive all their legal entitlements. Nike's decision to contract out all
its production should not be a means of escaping responsibility for
making sure that workers' legal rights are met, particularly in factories
where Nike is the only buyer.

Sincerely,
(nome, cognome, paese, eventuale organizzazione di appartenenza)


MANDIAMO UNA MAIL DI SOLIDARIETA' AI LAVORATORI


Katarina Puji Astuti
International secretary FNPBI
Jakarta Seletan
Email: dpp_fnpbi@telkom.net; katarina_fnpbi@yahoo.com

I want to express my strong solidarity with your struggle against the two
draft laws that would undermine hard-won labour rights of Indonesians, such
as the right to strike.

In solidarity
(nome, cognome, paese, eventuale organizzazione di appartenenza)


---------------------
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ersilia.monti@mclink.it

Ersilia Monti
(Coordinamento lombardo nord/sud del mondo - Rete di Lilliput Nodo di
Milano)
P.le Governo Provvvisorio 6
20127 Milano
tel.02-26140345
email: ersilia.monti@mclink.it
-------------------


-----Messaggio originale-----
Da: owner-cleanclothes@xs4all.nl
[mailto:owner-cleanclothes@xs4all.nl]Per conto di clean clothes campaign
Inviato: martedi 17 settembre 2002 16.53
A: cleanclothes@xs4all.nl; cck@oneworld.at; info@cleanclothes.ch;
campaign@evb.ch; reseau-solidarite@globenet.org;
ersilia.monti@unimib.it; frieda.dekoninck@wsm.be; LBL@gn.apc.org;
angela@women-ww.org; ropalimpia@pangea.org; carole.crabbe@mdmoxfam.be;
Catella@mdmoxfam.be; erstling-u@vemission.org;
CCC-D@dgb-bildungswerk.de; catarata-j@vemission.org;
info@renaklader.org; cidac@esoterica.pt; ethique@wanadoo.fr;
wecf@wecf.org; elisabeth.schinzel@oneworld.at; eestrada@setem.org
Oggetto: [cleanclothes] Appeal for action: Nike/PT Doson


Dear Friends,
Please find below some background information and a sample e-mail that can
be sent to Nike in relation to the situation at PT Doson in Indonesia,
prepared by the Nikewatch campaign. We urge you to take the time right now
to send a message to Nike.

-----------------------------------------------------------

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>Date: Tue, 17 Sep 2002 21:33:30 +1000
>To: nike-international@lists.caa.org.au, nike-related@lists.caa.org.au
>From: Tim Connor <timothyc@sydney.caa.org.au>
>Subject: [nike-international] Appeal letter re PT Doson
>
>Apologies to all who are already on the nikewatch-news list (for those who
>aren't you can join it by sending an email to
>nikewatch-news-subscribe@lists.caa.org.au). I thought I'd send the latest
>edition to this list in case other groups wanted to send the sample letter
>to Nike to their supporters. Please feel free to reproduce any of the text
>below
>
>NikeWatch News - September 2002
>
>In recent weeks we have received urgent requests for support from the
>7,000 workers at the PT Doson factory in Indonesia. They will shortly lose
>their jobs when Nike, the factory's only customer, moves it orders
>elsewhere. Union leaders at the factory suspect that the production is
>being moved to countries in which independent unions are illegal. Not
>only will workers at PT Doson join the 40 million other Indonesians
>looking for work, but at this stage it looks likely that they will miss
>out on the severance payments which they are supposed to receive under
>Indonesian law.
>
>Please consider taking two minutes to copy the letter at the bottom of
>this email and email it to Nike. We need to strongly send the message that
>contracting out all production should not be a way for companies like Nike
>to wash their hands of the rights of workers who make their products. Of
>the 757 of us on the NikeWatch News list, only four responded to the last
>letter-writing request. It would be great if we could get a much more
>forceful response this time. Companies like Nike know that for every one
>person who contacts them about an issue, at least one hundred are
>concerned about it.
>
>*****************************************************
>CONTENTS
>
>1. Thousands of Nike workers march on US embassy in Jakarta
>2. Reebok cuts orders to the PT Primarindo factory
>3. Two workers shot in Indonesia while protesting draft labour laws
>4. Analysis
>5. MakeTradeFair update: Disappointing outcome to World Summit on Social
>Development
>6. Sample email to Nike
>
>*****************************************************
>1. Thousands of Nike workers march on US embassy in Jakarta
>
>On August 20, four thousand Indonesian Nike workers marched on the US
>embassy in Jakarta to protest Nike's decision to cease ordering from the
>PT Doson factory, scheduled to take place next month. For a powerful
>picture of the workers' demonstration see
>www.ananova.com/business/story/sm_653774.html
>
>At the demonstration Rustam Aksam, president of the Indonesian Textile,
>Garment and Leather Worker's Union (TSK), said: "Nike has no social
>responsibility. They are just exploiting the workers, getting their profit
>and then leaving."
>
>The factory has told workers it is unlikely that it will be able to afford
>to pay their full severance payments and Nike has so far refused to make
>up any shortfall. Nike is willing to help make medical services available
>to workers for a yet to be determined period of time and is willing to
>make small loans available to workers who want to start small businesses.
>This looks like tokenism. At this stage Nike is not able to make available
>details of how much this assistance will cost, but it is likely to be
>dramatically less than it would cost them to pay workers what they should
>receive under Indonesian law.
>
>Workers at Doson are urgently requesting our support. Please copy the
>letter at the bottom of this email and then email it to Nike. The
>company's decision to contract out all its production should not be a way
>of escaping responsibility for making sure that workers making Nike
>products receive their legal rights.
>
>*****************************************************
>2. Reebok cuts orders to the PT Primarindo factory
>
>Reebok has also decided to cut orders to the P.T. Primarindo factory in
>Indonesia. Reebok has similarly so far refused to take responsibility for
>workers severance payments if workers do not receive those payments from
>the factory owner. For full details, including a great photo of a
>demonstration by workers from PT Primarindo, see
>www.cleanclothes.org/companies/reebok02-08-20.htm Please let me know by
>return email if you are also able to help with a letter to Reebok.
>
>*****************************************************
>3. Two workers shot in Indonesia while protesting draft labour laws
>
>The union federation Garteks SBSI reports that on 19 August 15,000 garment
>workers participated in a demonstration in Bandung, West Java. Two workers
>participating in the demonstration were shot by police. Fortunately
>neither was fatally hurt and both are now out of hospital.
>
>The demonstration was held to protest the drafting of two new labour laws
>which aim to make Indonesia more attractive to international investment.
>Indonesian Trade Unions are concerned that the laws will criminalise
>strikes. For full details see www.cleanclothes.org/urgent/02-08-28.htm
>
>*****************************************************
>4. Analysis
>
>A lot of commentators are concerned that globalisation is leading to a
>"race for the bottom", with poor countries forced to suppress workers'
>rights in order to compete for investment. Nike is certainly an example of
>a company that has shifted production in search of lower wages and more
>reliable supply. Now it looks like its happening again. In 1996, when
>Indonesia was ruled by the dictator Suharto and the only legal union was
>run by the government, 38% of Nike's sneakers were Indonesian-made. Since
>then Suharto has fallen, Indonesia has started to become more democratic,
>workers have been able to form their own unions and, this year, minimum
>wages have risen significantly. In the process Indonesia's share of Nike's
>sportshoe production has fallen to 30%, and according to the Wall Street
>Journal it looks set to go as low as 26% next month, when Nike ceases
>ordering from the PT Doson. More than half of Nike's sportshoe production
>currently occurs in countries in which workers can be imprisoned or sent
>to forced labour camps if they try to form independent, democratic unions.
>Oxfam Community Aid Abroad recently wrote to Nike asking whether the
>decision to cease ordering from PT Doson will result in more of Nike's
>sportshoes being sourced in such countries. Nike's response avoided
>directly answering the question.
>
>Unfortunately Nike is not alone. The Wall Street Journal reported on
>September 9 that the Korean Chamber of Commerce in Jakarta recently warned
>of a large-scale emigration of Korean businesses from Indonesia as a
>result of increases in the Indonesian minimum wage. Reebok also seems to
>be reducing its presence in Indonesia. The Indonesian government's draft
>new labour laws seem to be an attempt to prevent this investment flight.
>
>The international Nike campaign has reached an interesting stage. Nike has
>been willing to support workers' rights in particular factories, such as
>the Mexmode factory in Mexico. The company is also involved in the Fair
>Labor Association (FLA) which, while still far from adequate, has taken a
>number of steps toward becoming a more credible system for monitoring
>factory conditions. Unfortunately Nike's stated willingness to respect
>workers' rights is contradicted by its decision to source so much of its
>production in countries where it is illegal to form independent unions. If
>we want the world to become more democratic and we want to buy goods made
>in decent conditions, then we need to build a much larger movement of
>consumers and citizens who care about these issues and are willing to act
>on their beliefs. By participating in this list and responding to workers'
>requests for letter-writing support, you are making yourself part of the
>solution.
>
>*****************************************************
>5. MakeTradeFair update: Disappointing outcome to World Summit on Social
>Development
>
>After nine days of bluster, the world gets some gains on a few
>environmental issues, and on sanitation for the poor. But over all the
>outcome is feeble -a triumph for greed and self-interest, a tragedy for
>poor people and the environment.
>
>Who's to blame? Oxfam International points the finger straight at the
>world's leaders. "Most of them lacked the guts and will to achieve a brave
>and far-reaching agreement that might have effectively tackled the
>problems of poverty and the decaying environment. It was within their
>grasp," said Andrew Hewett of Oxfam International.
>
>For more detail see
www.maketradefair.com/stylesheet.asp?file=19062002155044
>
>*****************************************************
>6. Sample letter to Nike:
>
>Please copy the letter below, email it to
><Continuous.Improvement@nike.com> and cc it to <timc@sydney.caa.org.au>.
>
>Maria Eitel,
>Vice-President for Corporate Responsibility
>Nike Inc.
>
>Dear Maria,
>
>I am writing to bring your attention to the plight of workers at the PT
>Doson factory in Indonesia. I understand that in October this year all
>7,000 workers from the factory will lose their jobs as a result of Nike
>cutting its orders to the factory. I understand that although Nike is
>willing to provide some support for those workers, your company is not
>willing to take responsibility for ensuring that they receive their full
>legal entitlements.
>
>I also understand that Nike has so far not been willing to say whether
>this decision will result in more of Nike's production moving to countries
>where workers can be imprisoned or sent to forced labour camps for
>attempting to assert their right to form independent, democratic unions.
>In this context I am particularly disappointed that Nike is effectively
>shutting down a factory where most of the workers are union members.
>
>I urge your company to change its mind, and to continue placing orders at
>PT Doson. If you do not do so, at the very least Nike should ensure that
>they receive all their legal entitlements. Nike's decision to contract out
>all its production should not be a means of escaping responsibility for
>making sure that workers' legal rights are met, particularly in factories
>where Nike is the only buyer.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>*****************************************************
>
>Tim Connor, Coordinator,
>Oxfam Community Aid Abroad's NikeWatch Campaign
>
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Clean Clothes Campaign
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The Netherlands
tel: + 31 20 4122785
fax: + 31 20 4122786
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