Research note: Indonesian trade union developments since the fall of Suharto

Abstract

This research note chronicles developments in private and public sector trade unionism in Indonesia in the year following President Suharto’s resignation. Its findings are based on fieldwork carried out in Indonesia from February to April 1999, ongoing monitoring of the Indonesian press, and information provided by contacts in labour-oriented non-government organisations. While cautioning that more fundamental changes are required at a systemic level before far-reaching labour reform can be achieved, the author concludes that developments in trade unionism since the fall of Suharto indicate that many workers remain committed to collective action despite the dramatic increases in unemployment and the erosion of job security resulting from Indonesia’s ongoing economic crisis.