Aliansi Gerakan Reforma Agraria (AGRA) – Pusat is calling for solidarity for hundreds of nickel smelter workers on strike since 14 July 2025 after 950 workers were unilaterally furloughed in recent weeks. These workers have been gravely exploited, working 12-hour shifts without breaks and receiving wages below the provincial minimum.

The company claims that the temporary mass layoff is due to the decreasing supply of nickel ore, but it is more likely triggered by the raised royalties imposed by the Indonesia government for nickel mining and smelting since April this year. Either way, the furlough was done to cut costs and save profit.

A week into the strike, PT. Huadi Nickel Alloy asserted that they are complying with the regulations provided by Indonesian laws in a statement.

The People’s Coalition on Food Sovereignty stands with the striking workers of PT. Huadi Nickel Alloy under the Mining and Energy Workers Union (SBIPE). The company should be held accountable for all its violations and grant the demands of their workers. The Prabowo Subianto regime should also be condemned for its industrial downstreaming of nickel mining and smelting as well as its other National Strategic Projects (NSP) that are grabbing lands, destroying the environment, and devastating communities in Indonesia.