Organising under the Revolution

The years 1945-48 marked the peak of the Indonesian revolution, but they were also formative years for the state-labour relationship. Drawing on a range of historical sources, Jafar Suryomenggolo reconstructs labour's initial drive to form and orient unions during this period. The historical narrative captures early unions' nationalist spirit and efforts to defend members' socio-economic interests, and shows the steps taken by the labour movement to maintain its independence and build institutional capacity.