“Call to End Alleged Forced Labour Practices and Labour Rights Violations at PT Huadi Nickel Alloy Indonesia, Bantaeng, South Sulawesi”, Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Makassar, 15 October 2025

[...]

We, the Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Makassar, acting as legal counsel for the workers of PT Huadi Nickel Alloy Indonesia (PT HNAI), particularly those in Unit T1 Yatai and Unit T2 Wuzhou at the Bantaeng Industrial Zone, respectfully submit this open letter to report workplace human rights violations committed by PT HNAI. [...].

1. Alleged Forced Labour Practices and Unpaid Overtime

• Workers are forced to work 12-hour shifts daily (07:30–20:00), including 80 hours of compulsory overtime, which amounts to 240 hours per month, exceeding the legal limit. They are not provided with adequate rest periods.
• [...]
• Overtime pay is not provided in accordance with regulations, despite official calculations by the Labour Inspectorate showing underpayment since November 2021. A decision by the Labour Inspectorate dated 27 May 2025 confirmed the underpayment to 20 workers.

2. Violation of Minimum Wage Regulations

• [...] a basic wage of only IDR 3,500,000, below the 2025 South Sulawesi provincial minimum wage of IDR 3,657,527.37.
• This shortfall affects hundreds of workers and constitutes a violation of Indonesia’s criminal labour law. [...].

3. Abuse of the legal system and denial of religious rights

• [...] Instead of fulfilling workers’ entitlements, the company initiated legal proceedings at the Industrial Relations Court in Makassar to legitimize practices that contravene the law [...].
• [...]
• [...] abuse of the legal system and denies workers the right to observe their religious obligations. [...].
• [...] sometimes order workers to enter furnaces for cleaning while they remain hot, [...] putting worker’s safety at risk.