In early August 2015, 97 workers at the Hutchison port
terminals in Sydney and Brisbane, Australia, were sacked by text message and
email at midnight. The workers were not even allowed back into the workplace to
clear their lockers.
The workers established pickets outside the ports in Sydney
and Brisbane immediately following the sackings. While workers that are still
employed have resumed work following a court order, community assemblies
continue at both ports in protest at Hutchison’s complete disregard for workers’
rights.
Indonesian workers at the Jakarta International Container
Terminal (JICT) were outraged by the sackings of their Australian comrades and
sent messages of support. In Jakarta they are also facing a fight against
Hutchison.
In 1999 the JICT port was privatised when 51% of the shares
were sold to Hutchison who was given a licence to operate for 20 years. In 2014
the Indonesian Port Company (Pelindo II), which owns the remaining shares, extended
Hutchison’s licence for another 20 years. However, it was done without tender,
without permission from the Minister of Transport (which is legally required)
and at a suspiciously low cost.
In 1999, Hutchison paid USD 243 million for the 20 year concession,
at a time when the port had a capacity of 1.4 million TEU. The port now has a capacity
of 2.8 million TEU, yet Hutchison will have their concession extended for only USD
200 million!
The JICT workers’ union (SP JICT) have criticised this
corrupt licence extension, and are calling for the port to be nationalised.
They are also concerned that after Australia, Hutchison will turn their
attention to Jakarta and use claims of ‘efficiency’ to justify mass sackings.
However, they are already under attack. On 28 July 2015, two
JICT workers who had been vocal in their criticism of the dodgy deal were fired and
another four were moved to other ports. This obvious attempt at union busting
sparked a strike and the workers downed tools for more than eight hours. The
strike was successful and the workers reinstated.
But the Indonesian Port Company is becoming increasingly
repressive in an effort to push through the unlawful concession. They have
deployed 350 security officers to intimidate and threaten workers and more than
100 workers active in the union have been handed warning letters.
The JICT workers are supported in their fight by the
maritime, port transportation, and seafarer unions (FSPMI, FSBPTI, KPI). They are also part of the Nationalisation
Asset Movement (GANAS). On 6 October 2015, 22 unions and activist organisations under the banner of GANAS held a demonstration in Jakarta condemning the union busting
efforts of JICT management and demanding the Director of the Indonesian Port
Company cancel the concession extension.
Sydney,
Brisbane, Jakarta: the fight continues!
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