2 Indonesian union leaders of FKUI-KSBSI arrested at DAP Palm Oil Plantation

In June 2017, Riau Police (Polda) arrested two militant workers of the General and Informal Construction Federation (FKUI-KSBSI) Commissariat Board of PT Dian Anggara Persada (DAP), and they have still not been released. The company DAP is a supplier of Olenex, which is owned by ADM and Wilmar with headquarters in Switzerland and operating in Netherlands and Germany. Olenex also a member of the global platform Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).
Both Jhon Veri Panjaitan is the chairman and secretary of Herianto who is Plant Level Union leaders of FKUI-KSBSI at PT Dian Anggara Persada (DAP) operating in Kandis, Siak. The arrested have been held since Monday at Riau Police Headquarters.
Behind this case is a great struggle over rights when 56 company workers were dismissed unilaterally by the company. The value of rights that have been calculated reached 2.4 billion IDR, consisting of 867 million IDR for salaries paid by the company and 1.6 billion IDR for the severance fees.
The peaceful demonstration of hundreds of workers of PT Dian Anggara Persada (DAP) in Kandis, Siak District, end of September led to a number of agreements. Nevertheless, the labor struggle has not ended because two crucial points needed further discussion with Disnaker Siak District.
The four demands of workers discussed in a meeting mediated by Siak Police Chief, AKBP Restika Nainggolan on this afternoon, included the unconditional establishment of the organizational board of the Board of Commissioners FKUI KSBSI in the company complex.
"It is strange that the freedom of labor unions in the current era is still restrained by the company., while the constitution guarantees freedom of association, let alone in the corporate environment, "said Juandy, the Regional Coordinator for K-SBSI. "The second point is the application of the minimum wage of the plantation sector (UMSP) to the workers by the company. During this time, the workers do not get wages according to the number of numbers set. Let alone the equivalent of UMSP, last year, the workers only received under the minimum wage regency (UMK) Siak. We also collect the difference in underpayment of wages according to UMSP last year and the implementation of UMSP in 2017," he said.
Juandy also highlighted the settlement of the mutation (de-position) of workers by management to other legal entities. According to him, the mutation of workers to legal entities of other companies is not justified by the rules and provisions of employment. 44 employees are still laid off by the company. Previously, the SBSI has also reported the management of PT DAP to Komnas HAM RI and Polda Riau and several other agencies. Trade unions believe that there has been a violation of freedom of labor union within the company. Labor also assessed that there was an indication of employee threats in the process of establishing an employment agreement which made the workers uncomfortable.