Reinstate Husni! Mobilization continues for union rights at Accor’s Pullman Jakarta

Mass union protests continue outside Accor’s ‘chic, stylish and modern’ 5-star Pullman Jakarta in Indonesia’s capital city, where members of the IUF-affiliated independent national hotel and restaurant workers’ federation FSPM rallied on October 9 to demand the reinstatement of their federation president, Husni Mubarok.

Husni, who has worked at the hotel since 2003, was elected president of the FSPM in January 2018. He also serves as chairman of the union at the Pullman, where the union had been mobilizing in support of their demand for wage bargaining rights. On May 24, 2018, management unilaterally posted a notice on wages and wage structures not agreed to in negotiations. Two weeks later, Husni was suspended, for allegedly defaming the company in private social media communications. On July 5, 2018 he was terminated, but has refused to accept his termination or severance pay. He was unanimously re-elected as chairperson of the union at Pullman Jakarta in August 2019.

AccorHotels has taken no positive action to secure his reinstatement despite regular protests  outside the hotel and intervention by the IUF. The Pullman Jakarta is owned by an Indonesian company based in Bali, PT Wisma Nusantara International, which also owns the Accor-branded Novotel Bali Benoa.  In Myanmar, AccorHotels business partner Max Myanmar was identified by a recent report to the UN Human Rights Council as one of the eleven largest crony companies of the military whose activities provide the military with financial support for its crimes against humanity and ongoing impunity.