Issues associated with labour rights (such as health and safety problems, low wages, lack of contracts, and high production targets that require long working days) are widespread in the palm oil sector. Meanwhile, the trade union culture is not very established and collective bargaining agreements are underutilised, but CNV Internationaal and partners are developing a database for collective bargaining agreements in the palm oil sector.
About the project
The Palm oil CBA agreement database project, developed by the working group of the “Palm Oil Value Chain” to address the most severe labour risks in the palm oil sector, aims to increase transparency around labour rights in the Palm oil sector, as laid down in collective bargaining agreements. The Palm oil CBA agreement database will help palm oil supply chain stakeholders, including producers, buyers and financial institutions benchmark plantations for sustainability criteria and help unions with their negotiations.
About the report
The report first gives a brief overview of the project and of its stakeholders (project partners), objectives and management. It explains the activities that have been conducted in Indonesia in the framework of Project A of the “Palm Oil CBA Pilot Mapping in West Kalimantan, Indonesia” between February and July 2020. This report also provides context relevant to the projects, including the companies’ data, CBAs, company regulations, the actors, and the challenges involved with developing CBAs. In addition, this report provides basic information regarding the next steps and activities, such as bench-marking, capacity building, lobby and advocacy.
