Stop Union-Busting at Sofitel-managed Gran Mahakam Hotel Jakarta!

Posted to the IUF website 03-Jun-2005

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The IUF is giving international support to the struggle against union-busting at the Gran Mahakam Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia. Workers at the previously unorganized hotel formed the SPM (Independent Workers' Union) Gran Mahakam in October 2003 and joined the IUF-affiliated hotel and tourism federation FSPM.

Earlier this year the union requested the opening of negotiations for a collective agreement. Led by the aggressively anti-union Human Resources Director directly employed by the owner himself, the hotel responded with a classic union-busting campaign. Repeated attempts were made to bribe the union chairperson, vice-chair and secretary into quitting the union in exchange for promotions. When these efforts failed, management requested all workers to join a hastily-established "association" for employees, membership of which excludes membership in the existing (or any other) union. The "Organization for the Aspirations of Hotel Gran Mahakam Employees" was then registered as a trade union organization with the Jakarta Manpower Office. Management now contends that, after having created a phony "union" representing a small number of management staff, they are under no compulsion to recognize or negotiate with the workers' union.

The hotel is managed by the transnational company Accor, the world's largest hotel company. The IUF, in communications with Accor's corporate human resources director, has discussed with the company its obligations under the international agreement on trade union rights signed by the IUF and the Accor Group in 1995, which commits the company to ensuring that rights are respected by all hotels that bear the Accor brand. Accor however, has been unable to convince the owner to either change the human resource management of the hotel or to persuade the current management to drop its support for the yellow staff association. Accor has now informed the owner that it intends to terminate the management contract with Gran Mahakam which allows it to operate as an Accor brand hotel in part as a result of the owner's failure to respect rights agreed between Accor and the IUF.

This leaves open the future brand name of the Gran Makaham, but the union continues to struggle for its rights irrespective of the brand name on the hotel marquee. They are energetically fighting the anti-union campaign and they need international support. We therefore request, as a matter of urgency, that you send messages to the owner and manager of the hotel. Tell them to halt the campaign against the SPM Gran Mahakam, the legitimate trade union representing Jakarta Gran Mahakam employees, drop all support for the employees "association" and immediately enter into good faith negotiations for a collective agreement with the SPM. Copies of your messages will be automatically sent for information to Accor's corporate Human Resources Director, to our affiliate FSPM and to the IUF secretariat.

To send a message click here.

We thank you in advance for your solidarity and support.