As the world races towards a future powered by electric vehicles, the voices of those behind the curtain are demanding to be heard. Labor activist Raraa Rahmawati is bringing attention to the plight of Indonesian workers laboring in the nickel industry, a crucial link in the e-vehicle supply chain.
Indonesia holds the largest nickel reserves globally, a metal essential for lithium batteries used in electric vehicles. In a strategic move to boost local industry, the Indonesian government halted raw nickel exports in 2020, sparking a surge in domestic processing activities. At the heart of this boom is Tsingshan, a Chinese company heavily invested in Indonesia’s nickel processing sector. Tsingshan’s deals include a substantial $5 billion contract with Tesla.
However, the benefits of this industry expansion are not evenly distributed. Tsingshan’s founder, Xiang Guangda, known as the “Nickel King,” boasts a net worth of approximately $3.7 billion and has made headlines for purchasing a $62 million mansion in Singapore for his daughter. Meanwhile, the workers in his plants face starkly different conditions.
Rahmawati, working with Sembada Bersama, highlights dire workplace conditions in Indonesia’s nickel industry. Their report uncovers alarming incidents, including a pattern of “sudden deaths” among young workers in the Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park. These incidents, suspected to be linked to harsh labor conditions, remain shrouded in mystery due to limited transparency.
Workers endure grueling schedules, working 12-hour shifts that rotate between day and night. Measurements taken within the facilities reveal extreme workplace conditions: temperatures reaching 108.5 degrees, dangerous levels of dust, and deafening noise levels posing severe health risks. These occupational hazards are compounded by environmental degradation and a high rate of accidents, such as an explosion two years ago at a Tsingshan plant that killed 21 workers.
In response to mounting pressure, Tsingshan has engaged in an agreement with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization to enhance ecological practices and industrial training. Yet, with limited local job prospects, the surrounding communities remain reliant on Tsingshan and similar corporations.
The Sembada Bersama report calls for significant reforms from both the Indonesian government and corporations. Rahmawati emphasizes the need for international solidarity to address what she describes as a global economic system skewed in favor of the wealthy. “People who buy electric cars think they’re contributing to a ‘just transition’ away from fossil fuels,” she stated in Johannesburg. “But they should know this is really just another form of extractivism. We need a cross-border movement. It’s time for us to be united.”
Original Story at fpif.org