Background Organization

Organization to Strengthen and Develop Community’s Struggle (Organisasi Penguatan dan Pengembangan Usaha-Usaha Kerakyatan – OPPUK) was founded by a number of environmental activists, student activists, labor activists, women activists and pro-democracy activists in North Sumatra who share the same concern of several issues of social, political, human rights and environmental in Indonesia. The ideals has been fostered since the beginning of 2004 through the informal discussions, remember that the people who would join the OPPUK scattered in various NGOs. The name of OPPUK itself has been exist since the beginning April 2004, the name start when a few people make a visit to Pakantan, Mandailing Natal – where there is a social system to form rice barns that managed jointly by the people from different faiths. That social barn was named oppuk.

So OPPUK that formed in September 2005 already changes in notary deed. Currently, OPPUK registered at the Notary on January 30, 2014 at the Notary Hasnah, SH, M.Kn. Domiciled in the Padang Sidempuan, North Sumatra.

Departing from the conviction and awareness of the importance of economic power at the grassroots level, then we start a discourse at the same ideals about economic empowerment in an umbrella organization called OPPUK. This struggle takes a long time in the process of the convergence of ideas and opinions, due to their respective duties in the institution. The decision gave a lot of implications, both positive and negative. Many people were questioned, many were retained suspicions. However, departing from the initial ideals of the community will be able to survive collectively into the spirit of this organization to continue working to capitalize passion and conviction.

OPPUK have experience in advocacy, education and organizing for oil palm plantation workers in North Sumatra. OPPUK staff consists of leaders and activists of NGOs engaged in labor, the leader of the Union (Medan Independent Trade Union, Indonesia Prosperity Trade Union  1992 and Indonesian Plantation Workers Union), a lawyer and a former board AJI Jakarta.

Along with a cadre of plantation workers we build independent trade unions called SERBUNDO (Indonesia Plantation Workers Union). Through SERBUNDO, worker struggle for their rights are ignored by the company. Since the year 2013 in the National and International level, OPPUK and SERBUNDO urged the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) to establish a Working Group of Labour oil palm plantations, and also pushing the government to provide legal protection which does not exist in Indonesia.

LEGAL ENTITY STATUS :  These organizations form is an associations based on Notary No. 393 dated January 30, 2014