Arum Dalu Mekar

Company logo Arum Dalu Mekar

Company logo Arum Dalu Mekar

 

 

Profile of CONTIGO´s partner Arum Dalu Mekar

Supply chain

Trading partner: Arum Dalu Mekar, microenterprise
Function: Exporter
Structure: Affiliated production groups
Tradeway: Direct import CONTIGO

Products

Fans made of bamboo and colourful fabrics

Location

Office: Denpasar (capital city of Bali), Indonesia – distance to Europe: 11,800km

Production of fans: Yogjakarta (Java Island), Indonesia – distance to Europe: 11,400km

Bali to Göttingen (Source: Google Earth)

Founded in 1991

History

  • 1991: Founding of Arum Dalu as a marketing organisation for different kinds of Indonesian handicrafts from several Indonesian islands, such as Bali, Java, Borneo
  • Since 1991: Long time partnerships with several international Fairtrade organisations
  • Since 2004: Member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO)
  • 2009: CONTIGO meets Arum Dalu at the Fairtrade trade show in Lyon (Commerce Equitable)
  • 2019: Arum Dalu’s core business shifts from handicrafts to the production of sustainable coffins

Cooperation with CONTIGO since 2010

Structure of the business

Number of employees:

  • 6 fulltime employees (2 women, 4 men) with fixed salaries
  • Long time partnership with 12 producer groups that employ around 270 people (depending on order situation)
    • 60-80% are women and single parent
    • 40-80% of the employees work at home
    • Employment of people with disabilities and with no or little education
    • Producer groups are organized on their own
    • In addition to bamboo fans with fabrics, Arum Dalu produces and exports coffins made of sustainable materials: depending on order situation, between 10 and 16 people are employed


Organisation of workforce:

  • Responsibilities of Arum Dalu / Denpasar:
    • Product development for each workshop (twice a year)
    • Advance payments to external producer groups
    • Trainings of external producer groups (e.g. quality management, price calculation, realisation of fair trade standards)
    • Final quality control (5 employees), labelling, storage and export
    • Weekly meetings with the workshops (topics: current production, product development, planning issues, transport organisation)
  • Workshop of the CONTIGO bamboo fans:
    • Location of production: Yogjakarta, Java Island
    • Production manager: Mr. Sayudi
    • Arum Dalu purchases the cotton fabrics
    • 5 families are involved:
      • 20 women: glueing of cotton fabrics to the bamboo slats
      • Two men: cut bamboo into shape
      • Four women: sewing the cotton bags for the fans
    • The earnings are the main income for the artisans, (daily) earnings are higher than for other jobs in the region

Sales

  • Exports (100%) to UK, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, Ireland

Goals

  • To establish an own bamboo plantation
  • To support the traditional crafts in Indonesia
  • To create employment opportunities for people with no or little education
  • To create employment opportunities in the area, to avoid rural depopulation
  • To raise the environmental awareness
  • To stay internationally competitive
  • To support the different workshops to make them independent from Arum Dalu (therefore trainings in different issues)

Special features

  • Support producers in forestation efforts
  • Recycling and environmentally friendly disposal of waste is important
  • Recycled materials are strongly considered for product development
  • Financial support of local orphanages in Bali and Java, e.g. paying school fees

 

Fairtrade classification

FTA= Fairtrade Approved

 

Fairtrade aspects

Arum Dalu7

Arum Dalu Mekar complies with the following Fairtrade Principles:

No child labour

No discrimination

No discrimination due to gender, disability, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, political orientation, or infection with HIV

Fair wages

  • Minimum wage in Denpasar, Bali: IDR 2,770,300/month (IDR = Indonesian Rupiah) – status 2021
  • Wages at Arum Dalu:
    • Office employees receive fixed salaries between IDR 3.850.000 and  4.200.000/month (depending on job, responsibilities)
    • Artisans at the fan workshops receive agreed daily wages which are higher than for other jobs in the region
  • Monthly cash payout
  • Wage is revised once every second year (due to inflation)
  • Bonus payments after shipment of big orders
  • Bonus payments for religious holidays
  • Higher wages in case of overtime

Humane working conditions

Working hours:

  • 6-8 hours/day (flexible working hours, depends on work)
  • 6 days/week

Social benefits:

Office employees in Denpasar receive:

  • Paid holidays
  • Payment of contributions to health insurance BPJS
  • Continued payment of wage in case of sickness or accident, maternity leave
  • Financial support in case of high medical or hospital costs
  • Opening of saving accounts (retirement  schemes), Arum Dalu pays US$ 5 monthly, employees can get access when they are retired or in case of need/emergency
  • Payment of fuel
  • Employees receive additional staple food (e.g. rice, noodles, sugar, eggs), quarterly
  • School fees for children are paid

Educational opportunities:

  • Trainings on various issues (design, quality standards, occupational safety courses)
  • Trainings of external producer groups (e.g. quality management, price calculation, realisation of fair trade standards)

Occupational safety:

  • All safety standards are met

 

Transparency

  • Work contracts are available
  • Supply contracts are available
  • Payroll is available
  • Pay slips are available
  • SAR (Self Assessment Report) was duly submitted to CONTIGO

 

Monitoring

  • Member of:
    • WFTO (World Fair Trade Organization) since 2004
    • World Fair Trade Asia since 2006
    • Forum Fair Trade Indonesia since 2008/2009

 

Country information

See Encyclopaedia Britannica: Bali

 

Photos

Arum Dalu5 Arum Dalu1 Arum Dalu3 Arum Dalu8

Author: Janina Lange on 24. August 2021
Category:

Last articles