HOT WEEK IN MEDAN, INDONESIA

For 10 days in April, workers in Medan, and other places in North
Sumatra (Indonesia) took to the streets and confronted the
security forces protesting the suspicious death of a local
worker, Rusli who had earlier taken part in a strike at PT Deli
Karet,  and calling for free association, a rise in the munimum
wage and compensation for fired workers at the factory.
   On 14th April, 50,000 workers left their factories and marched
to the provincial governor's offices, bringing the Maden city
centre to a complete halt, an action co-ordinated by Forum Aksi
Solidaritas Buruh (Worker's Solidarity ACtion Forum) itself
consisting of representatives from 23 factories. After being
fobbed off with a meeting with local flunkies and a army security
officer, the delegation left feeling disatisfied and as the
protest headed back, riot squads attacking the mass with tear
gas. Arrests were made and some shops were attacked. The next
morning, the SBSI Medan secretary (a 2-year old independent union
that is challenging the employer-friendly, Government sponsored
SPSI union) was nicked and a demo was prevented from by a massive
military presence. Despite a ban on all public gatherings,
strikes and demos continued all over the region with much street-
fighting and rioting and clashes with cops and security forces
until 20th April. Many shops were looted and cars and motorbikes
were torched and some private houises wrecked. An Indonesian
Chinese businessman was also beaten to death. 57 people were
arrested including SBSI leaders and they will probably face
trials in the future.

SUPER POOR -Vs- SUPER RICH

Medan, Indonesia's fourth largest city, is the location of many
manufacturing companies, processing plantation products such as
coconuts, tobacco and rubber. In the last 20 years it has become
an industrial boom town in the Asia Pacific region, with cheap
labour manufacturing shoes, elctronics and textiles. The minimum
wage for the region is less than one quid per day.
   The Chinese community in Medan acounts for about one thrid of
the population, many making a weealthy living in trade and
industry, owning factories and creatring an ethnic division of
rich and poor in the city. It is often small Chinese owned shops
that get attacked during riots and demos whilst the corporate-
owned affluent shopping centres are protested by the military.
There is a volatile mix of anti-Chinese sentiment in the
community and intentional provocation by third parties. TAPOL -
Indonesian Human Rights Oranisation reports that "big demos of
any sort can easily be transformed into destructive mobs who turn
to looting and robbing shops. Even soccer matches or rock
concerts can explode into an attack on the rich". There is a
layer of flashy super rich Indonesian Chinese businessmen with
a larhe economic influence but little political power. Often they
can be used by the State as scapegoats when things fuck up.
   Evidence exists of the military authorities using third
parties such as gangster youth outfits to stir up violence and
lotting against Indonesian Chinese (although workers will always
have their own reasons for attacking the rich and thier flunky
military protectors). In exchange for provocation, the gangs
enjoy military protection for their own extortion and protection
racketeering. During the worker's actions in Medan, anti-Chinese
pamphlets appeared out of the blue and circulated in great
numbers. The racist slogans were totally at variance with the
demands of the workers.

STRIKE WAVES GOODBYE TO INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Headlines such as "Medan In Mayhem" in the international press
continues to undermine the country's reputation as a haven for
business opportunity. It's brag of cheap labour and political
stability is being consistently shown up by the actions of the
workers, with foriegn investors expressing concern and
uncertainty about moving in.
   The strike wave in Indonesia with disputes happening every
day, is not letting up. 2000 women workers at PT Rodeo Knitting
And Garment Industry in Semarang, took to the streets to demad
better wages on 21st April (Kartini Day commemorating the
country's foremost advocate for women's emaciaption). Thousands
struck at PT Mayora Induh, a food processing plant in May and
more women downed tools at PT Naga Mas, a towelling factory in
Batabg where wages for newly employed workers can be as low as
40 a day. There is also increasing pressure for women to have
their own union because existing unions neglect demands for equal
treatment and many women workers face problems from sexual
harassment, lack of maternity leave and wage discrimination.
Companies argue that a women's wage is "supplementary" to their
husbands income !

SBSI BANNED

10 days after the trouble and strikes, the Indoneisan authorities
announced a ban on the SBSI, declaring it an  "illegal"
organisation. The SBSI offices in Jakarta have not, so far, been
closed down although a police raid on 24th April as the union
prepared to celebrate it's 2nd birthday caused problems although
the event was helf with food and song.

You can FAX letters of protest at the banning of the SBSI to:
General Yogie. S. Memed, Minister Of The Interior at -
+62-21-323-577. Letters of support and copies of protest letters
can vbe FAXED to SBSI on +62-21-489-8465.

PUTTING YOURSELF IN THEIR SHOES
The trendy Reebok, Adidas and Nike all get footwear produced for
them, payimng crap wages to Indonesian workers. If Reebok doubled
their wages for the cost of labour on their shoes, thje retail
price would rise from $79 to $80 - that's about one dollar of
production that goes into every pair of trainers ! Xtra credible
Converse baseball boots are moving some production out from the
U.S to Australia and Indonesia for cheaper costs. You pay to look
cool, they slave to live. What price fashion, eh ?
Source: TAPOL magazine (excellent and worth reading)
111 Northwood Rd, Thornton Heath. Surrey CR7 8HW