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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