The creation of the International Palm Oil Workers United network makes the hearts of the palm oil workers in Indonesia and Colombia beat faster. The need is great, as are the expectations. The Indonesian divisional manager Hassan says: “The battle is not easy, but we will keep going.’
Hassan works as divisional manager at a plantation on the Indonesian island of Kalimantan. “It’s my job to make sure the harvest runs smoothly and that the palm trees as well as the soil itself are of a high quality.”
The trade union battle he and his colleagues are fighting is one that goes down to virtually the very basics. There are numerous issues crying out for improvement. For one thing, the wages, which are much too low, as his employer pays below the legal minimum wage. What is also perturbing is the lack of job security. “Many workers don’t have a contract. They are temporary daily workers without any form of job security. And they don’t have health insurance or any other kind of social welfare insurance, or any right to paid leave.”
This means no maternity leave (three months), menstruation leave (two days a month, a legal entitlement) or holiday leave (twelve days a year). The daily workers and temporary workers are generally women, so they tend to be the ones who suffer the most. Added to that is the fact that nobody is issued with protective clothing (PPE). “At our plantation, all the workers are involved in the spraying and fertilisation, with the unfortunate consequence that women, in particular, develop skin disorders.”
Although Hassan has a permanent job, he, too, lives in uncertainty. “I worry about our children’s future. I have one son of five and another of twelve. If they want to go to a better school, or later on to secondary school, then we’ve got a problem. Those schools are more than 20 kilometers away from the plantation and we’d then have to pay for transport ourselves. For us, education is very important. If they’re not able to continue their education, they won’t have a better future. We’re already saddled with all the school expenses, like petrol, buying a motorcycle and the school fees.”
For this reason, he is fighting with his trade union for a different wage system.
“The employer needs to change the wage system so that we get a fair day's wage for a fair day's work”, he says. “This is entirely possible given the fact that the palm oil sector is doing better than other sectors. The wages are now linked to the prices for the palm oil fruits. These vary considerably, depending on the region. Another issue is that the wages are linked to the targets the employer sets, the daily quota to be reached. These are currently extremely high and impossible to meet in seven hours. This also depends on the type of plantation. Harvesting on flat land is quicker than in the hills or the mountains. The wages need to be adapted to these conditions.”
The trade union also uses the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). This international organisation was established in 2004 to promote the production and use of sustainable palm oil. The organisation certifies companies considered by the RSPO to have achieved a sustainable standard. Hassan continues: “The certification should also apply at local level. Currently, it is only valid at company level. A pity, because a lot of things go on at local level that leave room for improvement. The audits would then have to take place at all the locations of a company. This is indeed a huge challenge, in view of the number of palm oil plantations on Kalimantan, but it must be possible. The audits should also include investigating whether the trade union is independent. This also varies from location to location.” The union uses the RSPO to put forward complaints, but up to now this has not led to any change. The process still needs to be completed.
“We simply want equal rights for all the workers”, says Hassan, explaining his union’s viewpoint. “We want an improvement in fundamental issues, beginning with wages. A higher wage leads to better education, a better health condition and a better mindset in the workers.” It is a lengthy battle, a fact he’s very much aware of. But quitting is not an option. “Seeing fellow workers suffer is very hard. The battle is not an easy one, that’s for sure, but we’re keeping going. The long-term goal is to achieve better education and increased awareness among the workers, giving them a better understanding of the use and benefits of trade unions. I believe in equal rights. We’re all human beings. It’s a matter of heart and soul.”
The creation of the International Palm Oil Workers United network gives him fresh courage. “I hope that out of this remarkable alliance will come the determination to not give up. There are palm oil workers all over Indonesia, Colombia and Africa. If we work together, this can empower us to achieve changes at a local level.” He hopes that the network will gain influence worldwide and will bring about significant change on the plantations. “We visited a number of companies in the Netherlands this week and saw a good operating wage system. We see, then, that this is possible in Europe and the workers certainly gave the impression of being content. I hope this network will enable us to implement a similar kind of system in Indonesia at the local level.”
Interview: Astrid van Unen