In April, the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation (ITGLWF) released a report [An Overview of Working Conditions in Sportswear Factories in Indonesia, Sri Lanka & the Philippines] documenting the working conditions in 83 sportswear factories in Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
The report found that up to 85% of employees in the factories in Indonesia are employed on short term contracts or on a temporary basis.
The report also noted that trade union officials in Indonesia are subjected to disparate workloads that are designed to prevent them from conducting union activities at lunch or after work. Other findings included: 1) Workers are frequently forced to work in excess of 100 hours overtime per month; 2) A factory locked 40 workers who failed to meet production targets in a small room, without water or ventilation, for three hours.
Workers at the same factory were forced to work up to 160 hours overtime per month; and 3) At two factories in Indonesia workers would have to work 15-20 years to secure a loyalty bonus to make up for non-payment of the minimum wage. This bonus has never been paid to a worker.
