Indonesia - Massive dismissal of workers for legitimate strike action

More than 4,200 workers of the PT Freeport, a gold and copper mining operation in West Paua, were sacked for striking, while some 300 workers at PT Smelting in Gresik were dismissed after striking in January 2017. After the summary dismissals, the company forcibly evicted the workers from their company-provided housing and denied them access to the company hospital and school. Many of the dismissed workers and their families now live in tents or in the offices of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI/CITU) and the Konfederasi Serikat Buruh Sejahtera Indonesia (KSBSI). PT Smelting has repeatedly refused to pay the workers’ salary and benefits and rejected all attempts to find an amicable solution with KSPI and KSBSI.