INDONESIA

Hotel reopens with non-union labour

From Labour News Network, 20 February and 3 April 2001; Jakarta Post.com, 20 February and 4 April 2001; and IUF reports

The Jakarta Shangri-La hotel dispute continues (see ALU 37).

The dispute began when 420 hotel employees affiliated to the Shangri-La Hotel Independent Workers Union went on strike from December 22 to 26 last year demanding better working conditions. The striking workers occupied the hotel, causing it to suspend business. The hotel remained closed for three months, opening recently with 500 newly recruited non-union workers and security officers provided by the city administration.

The swanky hotel chain is owned by Hong Kong based Malaysian Robert Kuok - one of the wealthiest men in the world. He is claiming US$14 million in damages from the Jakarta Shangri-La hotel union members.

Strikers have been beaten up on several occasions by unidentified thugs the strikers suspect are security guards at the hotel.

Australian unions have said that until the company resolves its problems with the independent hotel union members in Indonesia, no hotels will be built for Kuok’s companies at the Melbourne Docklands.

In solidarity with the locked out Shangri La workers, the Victorian Building Workers Union publicly stated that it would boycott the building project if it were awarded to Robert Kuok.

On 11 April, the state government of Victoria announced that the government tender for a billion dollar property development project (Docklands) was awarded to Lend Lease and not to Kwok’s construction company.

A SA8000 meeting scheduled to include unionists and NGOs in April was booked at the Shenzhen Shangri La. In direct support for the Indonesian Shangri La workers’ action, the labour activists insisted that the venue be changed. The meeting’s organisers duly complied.

From Jakarta Post, 4 April 2001

Car upholstery workers at PT Kadera in Jakarta said they would continue to strike until their demands were met after strikers were attacked by 500 goons in the early hours of 29 March.

The clash left one worker dead and 11 injured.

The murdered worker, Kimun Effendi, 21, died from wounds caused by a bomb.

Three others who were seriously injured are still in hospital.