Indonesian garment workers negotiate - Indonesia, 2022

Name: AlfidaArsini
Age:  27 years old
Nationality: Indonesian
Location: PT Chang Shin Indonesia, Karawang, West Jawa
Profession: garment worker

At PT. Chang Shin Indonesia, which is a Korean company producing sport shoes and sandals, Alfida is a member of the local GARTEKS company union. Most of the workers in the factory have no clue what are the benefits of becoming a union member. They have no knowledge about what a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is, let alone how it is negotiated. They have little understanding about their labour rights that are being violated, and about gender equality at the shopfloor. 

The local branch of GARTEKS provides basic training to the workers in the factory who become member of GARTEKS and explain them about their basic labour rights, about how to negotiate with the management and about CBA’s. The workers also receive training on gender equality. Once they have had the training the workers are able to understand better their own situation in the factory and what are the minimum labour standards that should be respected. Many workers, through the training, are also capable of solving their problems without any assistance from the local branch or from the National Board of GARTEKS.

Some results by intervention strategy...

Labour rights

More than 60.000 workers, of which 47% women and 32% younger than 35 years old, benefitted from activities pursuing more awareness, a better understanding and knowledge of the regulation on the wage structure and scale, on the Job Creation Law and its impact on workers, on how to negotiate CBA’s and MoU’s, on how to prevent and deal with gender-based violence at the shop floor. In several companies CBA proposals were drafted or agreements were concluded and signed. The minimum wage increase announced for 2023 is 7%, which is more than the inflation rate in 2022 (5,51%) or economic growth (5,77%).

Social security

53.597 people, of which 40% women and 30% younger than 35 years, were reached through actions focussing on access to better social security.