by IUF Asia/Pacific | May 8, 2025 | Bahasa Indonesia, Education & Training, Freedom of Association, Human Rights, Our Union Our Power, Secure Jobs
Bekasi, 22-23 April 2025 – Serikat Buruh Coca-Cola Seluruh Indonesia (SBCCSI) dan Union of Beverages Industry Workers (UBIW) Malaysia sukses menggelar kegiatan exchange visit selama dua hari di Bekasi dan Cibitung. Acara ini dihadiri oleh 23 peserta dari kedua serikat pekerja.
Presiden SBCCSI Brother Dwi Haryoto dan Presiden UBIW Brother Norhirman Bin Mohd Yusof
Di hari pertama, Brother Norhirman Bin Mohd Yusof President UBIW memaparkan profil serikatnya, dilanjutkan dengan pengurus lain dengan pembahasan otomatisasi di gudang serta perkembangan terbaru divisi sales di Coca-Cola Malaysia. Di sesi sore Brother Dwi Haryoto President SBCCSI dan beberapa pengurus berbagi pengalaman perjuangan serikat, termasuk keberhasilan dalam negosiasi perjanjian kerja bersama (PKB) di Coca-Cola Indonesia. Hari kedua difokuskan pada presentasi otomatisasi, teknologi dan digitalisasi oleh SBCCSI, dilanjut diskusi program NextGEN oleh IUF A/P untuk regenerasi kepemimpinan, serta kunjungan ke Pabrik Coca-Cola Cibitung.
Visit Plant Coca-Cola Cibitung
Kegiatan ini bertujuan untuk memperkuat solidaritas dan kekuatan kolektif pekerja Coca-Cola di tingkat regional maupun global, khususnya dalam menghadapi tantangan industri seperti otomatisasi dan restrukturisasi. Melalui pertukaran pengetahuan dan strategi, kedua serikat berkomitmen untuk bersama-sama memperjuangkan hak-hak pekerja, termasuk upah adil, perlindungan kerja, serta penguatan posisi tawar dalam perundingan. Output yang diharapkan dari kegiatan ini antara lain terbentuknya jaringan kolaborasi yang lebih erat antara pekerja Coca-Cola Indonesia dan Malaysia, penyusunan rencana aksi bersama untuk isu-isu strategis seperti PKB dan keamanan kerja, serta peningkatan kapasitas anggota melalui pembelajaran lintas negara yang dapat diaplikasikan dalam perjuangan serikat masing-masing.
Aksi Solidaritas Reinstate Sekretaris Umum FSBMM Brother Dani Afgani dan PepsiCo Australia Selatan
Dalam moment yang ini juga para peserta menyatakan dukungan solidaritas untuk Reinstatement Sekretaris Umum FSBMM Brother Dani Afgani yang mengalami PHK sepihak oleh PT. AMB (produsen Kecap Bango) karena menjalankan tugas-tugas serikat, dan juga solidaritas untuk pekerja PepsiCo Australia Selatan yang merupakan anggota United Workers Union untuk upah adil dan rasa hormat di tempat kerja.
by IUF Asia/Pacific | Mar 5, 2025 | Climate Change, Education & Training, English language, Freedom of Association, informal economy, Just Transitions, Youth in Unions
On February 27, 2025, the Indonesia Joint Youth Meeting took place in Yogyakarta, bringing together 35 youth from FSPM, FSBMM, and PERKASA. The meeting was held to share and discuss the challenge of organizing youth in unions in the informal economy, just transitions & skills in the context of new technology, automation and climate change, Effective Leadership Program, and NextGEN Program.
The meeting was started by the opening remark from brother Imam, FSBMM’s Youth Leader, that addressed the need for young people in the union to be more involved in the union’s activity either in the meeting, organizing the union, or becoming the part of a leadership. Brother Imam said, the youth involvement is necessary because youth is the Next Generation of the union.
Youth involvement in organizing is seen by what happened in Serikat Pekerja Mandiri Pariwisata Yogyakarta (SPMPARYO-Independence Union of Yogyakarta Tourism) where Brother Janu, the elected president of SPMPARYO, shared his struggles regarding the challenge to organize workers in informal economy. He said that there is still a lot of negative judgement going on among informal workers about unions that makes it difficult for him and other organizers to convince them to become part of the union. Despite the challenge, Brother Janu and SPMPARYO organizers make different strategies to ensure more workers in the informal sector get enough information about the union. He and his team make one database that has all of the information regarding the union, what union do, their activities, etc. Then, they make the database as a QR Code and make it into a sticker. So when they’re organizing in one area, they will distribute the sticker to all the informal workers that present.
Brother Janu from SPMPARYO is explaining the challenge in organizing workers in informal economy.
QR stickers: one of the organizing tools from SPMPARYO.
Climate change is part of the main discussion in this meeting. As we all know that youth would be the one who face the great impact of climate change so the union should take a step to help all the workers minimize the impact. FSBMM’s youth committee did the training with WALHI, an NGO who focused on climate change, to understand more about climate change and its impact on workers. Through the training, the representatives of FSBMM’s youth committee shared that climate change does impact the workers. For instance, the quality of the milk that cows produce will be decreased in the dry season because food supply for the cows will be difficult to get. Union can help to minimize the impact to the workers with collective agreement, including the clause about climate change will help workers to get as minimum impact from climate change.
Brother Humam from FSBMM is explaining the impact of climate change to the workers.
In line with the meeting theme, “Youth in Unions – Building Union Power for the Future,” this meeting focuses on how important young people are for the future of unions. To ensure they’re ready to take on leadership roles, we want to help build their confidence in decision-making. By giving them the tools and support they need, we can help them feel more confident about shaping the future of unions.
Additionally, the meeting aimed to engage youth in interactive sessions that emphasized critical thinking, collective action, and strategic organizing. These activities encouraged youth to take a more active role in union work, contribute to policy discussions, and advocate for workers’ rights both locally and globally. Moving forward, these activities should be followed by a more in-depth training on effective leadership.
Youth’s engaging in leadership group work.
It is key to create a space where young people feel comfortable and safe within the union. When they feel supported and heard, they’re more likely to speak up and take action. This kind of environment helps boost their confidence and leadership skills. By focusing on both, we’re not just preparing youth for the future – we’re building the future of unions together.
by IUF Asia/Pacific | Mar 5, 2025 | Bahasa Indonesia, Climate Change, Education & Training, Freedom of Association, informal economy, Just Transitions, Youth in Unions
27 Februari 2025 – Indonesia Joint Youth Meeting di Yogyakarta diadakan. Pertemuan ini mempertemukan 35 pemuda dari FSPM, FSBMM, dan PERKASA untuk saling berbagi dan membahas tantangan pengorganisasian serikat pekerja di sektor informal, transisi yang adil untuk perubahan iklim, transisi yang adil dan keterampilan ramah lingkungan, Effective Leadership Program, dan Program NextGEN.
Pertemuan diawali dengan sambutan dari Brother Imam, Ketua Pemuda FSBMM, yang menyampaikan perlunya generasi muda di serikat untuk lebih terlibat dalam kegiatan serikat baik dalam pertemuan, pengorganisasian serikat, maupun menjadi bagian dari kepemimpinan. Menurut Brother Imam, keterlibatan pemuda sangat diperlukan karena pemuda adalah generasi penerus yang akan meneruskan perjuangan serikat.
Salah satu contoh nyata keterlibatan pemuda dalam organisasi serikat adalah yang dilakukan oleh Serikat Pekerja Mandiri Pariwisata Yogyakarta (SPMPARYO). Brother Janu, presiden terpilih dari SPMPARYO, membagikan perjuangannya mengenai tantangan untuk mengorganisir pekerja di sektor ekonomi informal. Menurutnya, masih banyak stigma negatif tentang serikat pekerja di kalangan pekerja informal, sehingga Ia dan pengurus lain kesulitan untuk meyakinkan mereka menjadi bagian dari serikat pekerja. Meski menghadapi tantangan, Brother Janu dan SPMPARYO membuat strategi berbeda untuk memastikan lebih banyak pekerja di sektor informal mendapatkan informasi yang cukup tentang serikat pekerja. Ia dan timnya membuat database yang berisi semua informasi tentang serikat pekerja, apa yang mereka lakukan, dan kegiatan-kegiatan mereka, lalu mengubahnya menjadi QR Code dan menempelkannya sebagai stiker. Stiker ini dibagikan ke pekerja informal ketika mereka melakukan pengorganisiran di satu wilayah, sehingga pekerja informal lain bisa dengan mudah mengakses informasi tentang serikat pekerja.
Brother Janu dari SPMPARYO sedang menjelaskan tantangan dalam mengorganisir pekerja di ekonomi informal.
Stiker QR: salah satu alat pengorganisasian dari SPMPARYO.
Selain pengorganisiran, Isu perubahan iklim juga menjadi salah satu topik utama yang dibahas dalam pertemuan ini. Seperti yang kita ketahui bersama bahwa kaum mudalah yang akan menghadapi dampak besar dari perubahan iklim, sehingga serikat pekerja perlu mulai mengambil langkah-langkah untuk melindungi pekerja dan meminimalkan dampaknya. Komite pemuda FSBMM melakukan pelatihan bersama WALHI, LSM yang fokus pada perubahan iklim, untuk memahami lebih jauh dalam dampak perubahan iklim terhadap pekerja. Melalui pelatihan tersebut, perwakilan komite pemuda FSBMM menyampaikan bahwa perubahan iklim memang berdampak pada pekerja, misalnya, kualitas susu yang dihasilkan sapi menurun saat musim kemarau karena kekurangan pakan. Serikat pekerja dapat membantu meminimalkan dampak terhadap pekerja dengan membuat kesepakatan bersama yang mencakup klausul terkait perubahan iklim, untuk meminimalisir dampak dari perubahan iklim terhadap pekerja.
Saudara Humam dari FSBMM sedang menjelaskan dampak perubahan iklim terhadap pekerja.
Sesuai dengan tema pertemuan, “Pemuda dalam Serikat Pekerja – Membangun Kekuatan Serikat untuk Masa Depan,” pertemuan ini berfokus pada betapa pentingnya generasi muda bagi masa depan serikat pekerja. Kami ingin membantu membangun kepercayaan diri pemuda dalam pengambilan keputusan untuk memastikan bahwa generasi muda siap untuk menjadi pemimpin. Dengan memberi dukungan dan keterampilan yang mereka butuhkan, kami yakin kaum muda akan lebih percaya diri dalam merancang masa depan serikat pekerja.
Selain itu, pertemuan ini bertujuan untuk melibatkan kaum muda dalam sesi interaktif yang menekankan pemikiran kritis, tindakan kolektif, dan pengorganisasian strategis. Kegiatan-kegiatan ini mendorong kaum muda untuk mengambil peran yang lebih aktif dalam serikat pekerja, berkontribusi dalam diskusi kebijakan, dan mengadvokasi hak-hak pekerja baik secara lokal maupun global. Kedepannya, kegiatan ini harus diikuti dengan pelatihan yang lebih mendalam mengenai effective leadership.
Pemuda dalam kerja kelompok kepemimpinan.
Penting juga untuk menciptakan ruang di mana kaum muda merasa nyaman dan aman dalam serikat pekerja. Ketika mereka merasa didukung dan didengarkan, pemuda cenderung akan bersuara dan mengambil tindakan. Lingkungan seperti ini membantu meningkatkan kepercayaan diri dan keterampilan kepemimpinan mereka. Dengan berfokus pada keduanya, kita tidak hanya mempersiapkan pemuda untuk masa depan – kita juga bersama-sama membangun masa depan serikat pekerja.
by IUF Asia/Pacific | Jun 29, 2024 | Collective Bargaining Rights, Freedom of Association, Hotel & Tourism Sector, Human Rights, Right to a Safe Workplace
On July 1, 2024, the Accor-branded Sofitel Philippines Plaza Hotel will close for renovation. Although it will eventually reopen, the owning companies behind Philippine Plaza Holdings, Inc (PPHI) – which is owned by a joint venture between Kajima Group’s subsidiary Kajima Development and Allied Properties in Hong Kong – have decided to declare a complete closure with mass layoffs. In complete disregard for international human rights standards and its obligations under the OECD Guidelines, Accor has simply gone along with this.
When the Philippine Plaza Chapter (PPC) and the Philippine Plaza Supervisory Chapter (PPSC) of NUWHRAIN requested negotiations on the terms and conditions of the renovation, Accor and Kajima Allied’s Philippine Plaza Holdings, Inc (PPHI) simply refused. They would not even provide an explanation of why the hotel will close when much of the renovation has already been completed. Even while Accor and hotel management told the unions – then openly declared in the media – “the hotel is unsafe!” … events, parties, conferences and bookings continued.
Kajima Development and Allied Properties maintain a lease on the beachfront and land through Philippine Plaza Holdings, Inc (PPHI) that will expire in another 17 years. Instead of seeking to terminate the lease because of the “closure” of the luxury hotel resort, they are seeking an extension to a 25-year lease. So Accor and the owners of the iconic Sofitel Philippines Plaza Hotel have plans. The workers who dedicated dozens of years – and for some decades – of their working lives to make Sofitel Philippines Plaza Hotel so successful have no part in this plan. They will be thrown out like trash on July 1, 2024.
This epitomizes how global hotel chains like Accor fail to recognize the value in the work of hotel workers, and their valuable contribution. Workers are just an expense. And the unions that represent these workers are just an obstacle to dismantled.
This is actually the purpose of this declared “renovation”. Get rid of hundreds of workers and all of their pensions and benefits. Dismantle the unions and the collective bargaining agreements that recognize workers’ contribution to the business through decent wages and benefits, and reset the business. So when the hotel reopens it will be free to hire an entirely new workforce with zero years of service, and will not need to negotiate with any union that is intent on protecting workers’ rights and bargaining fair wages. The zero reset in this renovation will mean zero rights for the workers that walk through the back door in the renovated, reopened hotel resort.
Opened on September 26, 1976, the hotel went through three major renovations (1994, 1995, 2007) and every few years there were a series of extensive resonations and upgrading. Accor took over the hotel operations under its luxury Sofitel brand in 2007 with a major renovation. 17 years later the hotel will go through another renovation because – the owning company and Accor claim – it is “unsafe”. Accor has confused approach to safety, with its “Allsafe” label coinciding with rights abuses and unsafe working conditions in countries such as Indonesia.
Workers now see the dark side the catchphrase of Accor’s luxury Sofitel Philippine Plaza resort: “WHERE LIFE LIVES!” And they are left to ask, “For who?” It lives for guests, for profits, for business. But workers will not be able to live their lives. They face hardship, anxiety and bitterness.
Meanwhile Accor is expanding its business in the Philippines and opening several new hotel properties including ibis Styles Subic, Mercure Subic and the luxurious South Palms Resort Panglao Bohol – MGallery. This also includes the largest Pullman branded hotel property in the world to be opened in Cebu City in 2028. When announcing this new development, Accor declared that it: “… demonstrates Accor’s confidence in and commitment to the promising potential of the Philippines.”
What Accor refuses to recognize is the promising potential of workers already working in their hotels in the Philippines, and the hopeless they have created for hundreds of workers and their families. July 1, 2024, will be a dark day for these families and will cast a shadow on Accor’s upcoming hotel properties in the Philippines for decades to come.
by IUF Asia/Pacific | Jun 29, 2024 | Collective Bargaining Rights, Freedom of Association, Hotel & Tourism Sector, Our Union Our Power, Right to a Safe Workplace
Hotels are as much as about the service that workers provide as the location and facilities. Rooms and facilities are cleaned and maintained, food is prepared, cooked and served. Guests are attended to, entertained, assisted, and kept safe. From the laundry to food and beverage, to cafes, restaurants, conference rooms and banquet halls, there is cleaning, maintenance, preparation, security and constant service.
Yet for most international hotel chains, workers are invisible, an afterthought, or just an expense. Based on the attitude of an entire generation of HR managers who lack any understanding of industrial relations and work, workers are just a problem to be solved.
Without workers nothing works. Nothing happens. No one eats. Nothing gets cleaned. Without the service, security and welcome atmosphere that guests pay for, the hotel is just a building. In fact it is the service provided by hotel workers that makes the people that come to hotels guests. Ignoring this reality, international hotel chains spend hundreds of millions of dollars on loyalty programs, brand promotion, and image. This entire business model fails to take into account that loyalty is based on a good experiences and that experiences depend on hotel workers.
The hundreds of millions of dollars wasted on loyalty programs and brand promotion should be redirected to paying workers decent wages; improving working conditions; guaranteeing safe, secure (permanent) jobs; protecting hotel workers from harassment and abuse; reducing excessive workloads and reducing workplace stress; and ensuring that workers can freely access their rights, including the right to join a union and the right to a safe workplace. These are human rights.
Similarly, all of the financial resources redirected to brand image is ultimately wasted if global hotel chains allow local management to treat workers unfairly; engage in discrimination; impose excessive workloads; bully, intimidate and harass; and blame workers’ “attitude” on anything and everything that goes wrong. This happens because there is no recognition of the value of the work of hotel workers in all their different job roles and occupations. There is no recognition of hotel workers’ valuable contribution to the hotel as a business and its brand. Since their value is not recognized, workers are not respected. When managers and supervisors do not respect workers it opens the door to all sorts of abuse and unfair treatment.
The failure of corporate management to stop this abuse and unfair treatment gives these abusive managers and supervisors a sense of impunity. Managers are emboldened by this sense of impunity, and it just gets worse for workers.
The tragic result is that the people expected to provide warm, friendly, prompt, efficient, professional service and/or to work hard, meet targets and follow (constantly changing schedules), simply cannot. When some workers give up and leave, management blames workers’ lack of loyalty or the problem of retention (“they keep changing jobs”). The hotel industry then goes running to government and the media complaining about a “labour shortage”. What they don’t explain is that there is only a shortage of workers willing to work under these abusive conditions – underpaid, overworked, and denied dignity and respect. Well, yes – there is a shortage of that kind of labour because most workers are aware of their human rights and won’t tolerate these abusive conditions.
The solution for these global hotel chains, it seems, is to bring in workers who are not aware of their rights or who are too vulnerable and afraid to exercise their rights: migrant workers on temporary visas, newly arrived immigrant workers or refugees, undocumented workers, or students. (Exploiting students under the guise of “on the job training” is rampant in the international hotel chains in many countries.)
The entire management approach of international hotel chains seems to hinge on the hope that hotel guests don’t see workers as people (and for certain workers like housekeepers, cleaners and kitchen hands to never see them at all). Yet everyone has a name tag with their first name (or if their real name is a difficult “ethnic” name, then they will be Peter, Mike or Jenny). Hotel workers who have contact with guests have to introduce themselves by name. All very personal, all very human. But what workers cannot be is an actual person with a family to get back to, bills to pay, family events to attend, or anything else that might suggest that beyond the name tag is a real person with a life of their own.)
Hotel workers are expected to bring the warmth and friendliness and smile of a person, but not expected to be treated as a person. Hotel workers are expected to be professional, but are not treated as professionals with ability, skills and experience. They certainly are not paid according to their skills, ability and experience. Hotel workers are not paid for their valuable contribution and the important work they do. Because the value of their work and contribution is not recognized.
Ultimately this recognition can only come through joining or forming a union, combining together to exercise the collective bargaining power needed to stop the unfair treatment and abusive practices in hotels. It is the collective bargaining power needed to ensure safe, secure jobs free from anxiety and stress. It is the collective representation through the union needed to end the impunity of abusive managers and supervisors, and to eliminate discrimination, bullying and sexual harassment in the workplace. It is the only way to work with dignity and respect. It is the only way to ensure recognition of the value of the work of all workers in a hotel or resort.
Joining or forming a union is not a magic solution for hotel workers. It requires continuous organizing and constant bargaining. It involves a never ending fight to be treated decently, and paid fairly. It involves constant reminders to management to treat workers (union members) with respect. But it is the only way to bring about these changes. Because the only thing that matters to the international hotel chains is the value of their very expensive, very fragile brands. We need to get organized to remind them that behind that brand is hotel workers, and hotel workers have value.
Hotel housekeeping workers in the Philippines protest “room quotas kill!” on International Workers Memorial Day, 28 April
by IUF Asia/Pacific | May 6, 2024 | Freedom of Association, Our Members, Our Union Our Power
On May 1, 2024, the IUF-affiliated Pakistan Food Workers Federation [PFWF], Pakistan Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tourism, Clubs and Allied Workers Federation [PHRCTCAWF], and Sindh Nari Porhyat Council [SNPC] formally launched the IUF-Pakistan Coordination Council [IUF-PCC] in the presence of over 500 delegates and elected the Steering Committee with Brother Qamar ul Hasan as the General Secretary.
With the vital support of the IUF team in Pakistan in the last 27 years, the independent, democratic trade union federations affiliated to the IUF were firmly established and made tremendous progress in exercising the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining, securing permanent jobs, ensuring safe workplaces and better working condition for workers through multiple campaigns. Consequently, the federations’ governing bodies in August 2023 passed resolutions to establish IUF – Pakistan Coordination Council.
The IUF-PCC will function as a structure to build strength and increase membership with the commitment to advance collective rights of workers across IUF sectors in Pakistan, thereby increasing collective bargaining power in the workplace, industrial power across industries, and union power in society.
The experience, support and guidance of the IUF-Japan Coordination Council [IUF-JCC] is instrumental in formation of IUF-PCC.
Brother Katsutoshi Matano, Central Executive Standing Committee Member, Director, International Affairs Bureau, UA ZENSEN on behalf of the IUF-JCC extended solidarity to IUF-PCC at the launch event.
Brother Qamar emphasized the role of democratic unions and strengthening the quality of union leadership in the last 27 years which resulted in securing permanent jobs for thousand of workers, promoting gender equality in the unions and in workplaces by and increasing collective bargaining power.
Brother Qamar ul Hasan, newly elected IUF-PCC General Secretary.
Brother Hidayat emphasized the need to establish IUF-PCC and reaffirmed IUF commitment to build strong unions for members and their families. Brother Hidayat highlighted the importance of exercising the right to freedom of association and building collective bargaining power as the only way to lift members and their families out of poverty.
Brother Hidayat Greenfield, IUF Asia/Pacific Regional Secretary.
Brother Khaista thanked the IUF for building PFWF as a strong federation in food processing and beverage manufacturing industries and committed to organize workers in the sector.
Brother Khaista Rehman, PFWF General Secretary and 2nd alternate for South Asia on the IUF Asia/Pacific Regional Committee announced the rules of IUF-PCC.
Brother Ghulam Mehboob, PHRCTCAWF General Secretary highlighted the role of IUF in advancing rights of workers in the hotel and tourism sector.
Sister Rafia Gul, SNPC Chairperson speaking on the IUF support for recognition of women agricultural workers.
Sister Sadia Kanwal, PFWF organizer and 1st alternate for South Asia on the IUF Asia/Pacific Regional Women’s Committee presented the progress in Pakistan in winning women’s rights and winning better skilled, better paid, secure jobs for women workers and to be active in union leadership.
Sister Iqra Jameel, PFWF Youth Secretary and chair of the IUF Asia/Pacific Regional Youth Committee appreciated the union support to education and train young leaders and for promoting quality apprenticeships for better skilled-better paid jobs for youth.
Brother Alamgir Khan, member of the newly formed Tobacco Growers Association appreciated the support of IUF Asia/Pacific in establishing the association and progress towards securing rights in the tobacco sector.
