Indonesia recently held its first direct presidential elections, but having a say in their own future extends to the workplace as well.
Follow Mohamad Hakim around for a day and you might think the supermarket where he works was named with him in mind. Business is booming. The shelves are overflowing, but just a few years ago the economic and political crisis and ensuing riots that swept Jakarta told quite a different story.
Mohamad Hakim, Labour Union leader
At that time, management had to take radical steps because some of HERO’s stores were burnt down. Around 22 stores in Jakarta had to be closed and because of the mass riots, there were enormous layoffs.
At that time, there were no labour unions for the workers to turn to and with nearly 80 per cent inflation, they found their wages were barely enough to survive.
Hakim
At that moment worker’s eyes began to open and they demanded a solution. We tried gathering as many workers together as we could and discussed their problems with management and how they could be bridged.
Today, meetings between HERO’s labour union and management are productive and regular, but they belie the fact that not long ago, negotiation often took the form of confrontation or strikes.
Carmelo Noriel, ILO
The big change now is that you have more and more of what you may call real and genuine collective bargaining where workers bargain while enjoying their right to freedom of association and collective bargaining. And where employers also practice the same rights.
The International Labour Organization (or ILO) is training and working with labour leaders like Hakim and companies like HERO to discuss problems and find solutions as partners.
The International Labour Organization (or ILO) is training and working with labour leaders like Hakim and companies like HERO to discuss problems and find solutions as partners.
Koeshartanto, Human Resources Director
HERO has many branches, and in the past we did not have a central place to accommodate everyone’s concerns. It was all mixed up. Now, we have a way to deal with everyone’s concerns in one place.
Those discussions also have a direct impact on productivity.
Mansyur, Clerk
If we agree, understand each other, I think both parties won’t suffer because the company’s aim is to improve its business while the staff’s aim is to give their family a comfortable life.
It’s a partnership that must be working because other companies in Indonesia are turning to Hakim to find out how HERO keeps those customers coming through the doors.
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