The IUF and our affiliates are calling on Marriott to resolve ongoing rights disputes including the opportunistic terminations of trade union members and leaders in Indonesia under the guise of COVID-related downsizing and efficiencies.
- Despite 80-100% occupancy at the Marriott Courtyard Bandung Dago, local management has unfairly terminated 15 workers, including the union President, using “efficiency” as an excuse for the terminations; earlier this year during the temporary closure of the hotel, IUF affiliate FSPM and management negotiated an agreement on wage reductions, but management also abolished the weekly day off and overtime pay and has sought further layoffs, all of which the union has contested with the government’s Manpower Ministry
- In October, the hotel sought permission from the Municipal Representative of the Manpower Ministry to terminate another round of workers, but this request was rejected because the hotel had not resolved the issues around the first round of terminations
- At the W Bali Seminyak, in April 2020, hotel management imposed a 10% deduction on workers’ salaries to mitigate the consequences of the pandemic on the hotel’s income; a few days later, management began terminating its permanent workers by attempting to force some 210 out of 710 workers to sign resignation letters
- After IUF affiliate FSPM intervened to stop the resignations, management’s plan failed as workers sent letters withdrawing their resignations; on October 1, 2020, 147 workers were terminated
As IUF General Secretary Sue Longley stated, “Basic rights like the freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining are all too often denied in Marriott hotels. Marriott also ignores warnings from public authorities to comply with laws and contracts. We cannot tolerate this behaviour and will always stand by our affiliates and their members in their fight for justice.”
