The Legacy of Colonial Labour Unions in Indonesia

In: The Australian journal of politics and history: AJPH, Band 47, Heft 1, S. 85-100

Abstract

This article discusses the legacy of the colonial labor movement in Indonesia under five broad headings; labor unions & the development of political consciousness; labor unions as socioeconomic institutions; leaders, followers, & the development of worker leadership; organizations & structural legacies; & class, ethnic, & religious divisions. For over three decades after the first labor union was created in 1908, union leaders struggled to build organizations that cut across the ethnic, linguistic, & social class divisions of Indonesian workplaces. They had limited success. Nevertheless, labor unions did have an important role in increasing workers' wages, representing their grievances to employers, & forcing the colonial government to pressure employers to improve both wages & conditions. They were central to the development of political consciousness, creating opportunities for Indonesians to acquire organizational skills & providing a channel for many to join nationalist political parties. In 1941, on the eve of the Japanese occupation, labor unions were among the strongest Indonesian organizations in the colonial towns & cities. In the aftermath of independence in Aug 1945, labor unions were quickly reformed &, freed from many of the restrictions of the colonial states, recruited large numbers of urban workers. The successes & failures of the colonial labor movement were part of the collective memory of many leaders & members, influencing the direction of postindependence activities. Adapted from the source document.