• The Trade Union of the Indonesian garment factory workers obtains a positive answer in their court battle
  
  

The situation faced by a group of Indonesian workers from the Bandung region started more than two years ago, when their employer, a company that produces clothing items for famous European and North-American brands, applied more and more difficult working conditions and low wages, while the demand for garment articles was increasing.

With the help of the Indonesia YCW, the employees gathered in small groups where they analysed their situation and searched for ways to improve their conditions (decent salary, a stable contract and social security).

Following various negotiations with the company's Managing Board and although a few of the workers’ demands were fulfilled, the young workers decided to take a step forward and formed a Trade Union called Workers’ Solidarity Struggle (WSS). They began to contact the local authorities in order to ensure the implementation of the labour laws and regulations.

While the Union started to organize more actions together with the YCW members to grow awareness amongst the concerned parties, the manufacturing company began to make pressure by firing various workers. By March 2011 almost 500 workers had been laid off without severance pay or any legal reason.

After many days of protests in front of the factory, and facing the violent methods which the police were using to dissolve the mass protest, the WSS introduced an official complaint to the Bandung Court of Law, which ruled in favour of the workers on 7th Dec 2011.

After a trial that lasted for nearly 2 hours, the Industrial Court Judges declared the layoffs null and void, and that the workers who were dismissed should be hired back with their salaries paid from May 2011 to November 2011. In addition, the trial court fees shall be borne by the factory.

"We are warmly welcoming the decision of the Bandung District Court judges, it's a clear proof that this legal action was justified and it forces the company to ensure that the law is upheld for the benefit of the young workers”, said Andy Predicala, YCW coordinator for the Asia- Pacific region. “But the fight is not over! The mechanism of the employer is still strong and we are not sure about the turn of this incidence. That is why we remain vigilant following up this case.”

Although this decision was received with excitement by hundreds of protesting workers and labour activists, we need to continue our actions with and for the young workers so that everyone can have a decent life and work.

Statement of the IYCW on the International Day

for the Elimination of Violence Against Women 2011

The International Young Christian Workers’ movement (IYCW) is continuing its campaign on Gender Equality as a part of its Social Protection campaign. It is quite clear that young women who we work with at the grassroots are facing violence and discrimination in their daily lives.

There are young women in India today who spend their lives unmarried; they could not get married because of the dowry system, and they are considered a burden for their family.

There are young domestic workers in Paraguay facing violence and sexual abuses in their working places.

There are many women around the world who are “legally” raped by their husbands.

As International Young Christian Workers, we believe that this violence must stop, and we fight all types of violence and discrimination against women in society.

Let’s go on with our continuous struggle for, by and with the young workers!

For, as Cardijn said, “A young worker is worth more than all the gold in the world.”

Almost a century ago, in 1912, Joseph Cardijn was named curate of the parish of Notre-Dame at Laeken, a suburb of Brussels, Belgium. He immediately discovered the situation of young workers, particularly that of the exploited girl apprentices. What he saw led him to create the initial groups of workers of what was to become a movement, the Young Christian Workers (YCW). The YCW is still very active 99 years later, not only in Belgium but in around 40 countries across the world. Local groups developed in Belgium first, but soon the movement crossed the borders to reach other European countries, and finally other countries around the world.

On 25th August this year, the International Young Christian Workers movement (IYCW) celebrates its 54th anniversary. It commemorates the great world assembly held in Rome in 1957, which brought together 32,000 young workers from 85 countries. A Sunday mass took place on 25th August 1957 at Saint Peter’s basilica, and Pope Pius XII joined the young workers that afternoon on Saint Peter’s Square. And that was the moment and day of the birth of IYCW. The IYCW celebrates its anniversary every year on 25th August.

Next year, in 2012, the YCW will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the movement in Belgium, the 55th anniversary ofthe creation of the international movement, and it will also hold its International Council in Ghana, Africa, in the month of August.

Cardijn created the first YCW groups in 1912 because he was appalled at the terrible working and living conditions of young workers at the time. Today, 99 years later, the IYCW continues to set up local groups on all continents around the world to fight the situations of exploitation and injustice faced by young workers and promotes the campaign for Social Protection (Just Work, Gender Equality and Quality Education) for all young workers. Through its action, the movement has achieved a lot throughout its history, but a lot remains to be done in its struggle for decent working and living conditions for each and every young worker. Because, as Cardijn said, “Every young worker is worth more than all the gold in the world”.

Source: International Cardijn Foundation, IYCW – 75 Years of Action

The Indonesia YCW is reporting that workers who are members of the Workers' Solidarity Struggle Trade Union are continuing their action at a textile factory in Bandung despite intimidation and violence that caused one pregnant worker to lose her baby.

The situation faced by workers in a factory in the Bandung region in Indonesia started in 2009 when a group of workers gathered together to discuss the growing problems with their employer. The factory produces clothing articles for renowned European labels, but for its nearly one thousand employees, no decent working conditions and minimum wage are applied.

Their main difficulties at the working place include the extremely long working days, large production schemes that must be accomplished, and the lack of job contracts or social security.

Following the first meetings and with the help and advice of Indonesia YCW members, the workers decided to form a Trade Union called Workers’ Solidarity Struggle and to start organizing actions in order to improve their working conditions. These actions consisted in negotiating with the employer and the local legal authorities.

• The convention aims at putting an end to a long-standing discrimination that has been affecting this sector in which over 100 million people work.
• Some of the improvements include domestic workers’ rights to the national minimum wage coverage, to social security, and to a minimum weekly rest period.

Yesterday, June 16th, the governments, employers and workers’ delegates who attended the 100th Conference of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) adopted for the very first time in history international standards aiming at improving the working conditions of tens of millions of domestic workers around the world.

For the very first time since the organization was created in 1919, delegates approved a Convention Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers, Convention 189, with 396 votes in favor, 16 votes against it, and 63 abstentions, as well as accompanying Recommendation 201, with 434 votes in favor, 8 votes against it, and 42 abstentions. It is the first ever international legal instrument which protects this category of employees and guarantees them the same basic rights as those of other workers, including normal working hours, weekly rest of at least 24 consecutive hours, the payment of a limited proportion of the remuneration in the form of payments in kind, clear information about employment conditions, as well as the respect of the fundamental principles and rights at work, including freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.

You may know the story of a king of ancient times. He wanted to know how his people would react when faced with a challenge or obstacle. Therefore, the king placed a huge rock (boulder) on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none of them did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying on the road where the huge rock had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.