In Search of Justice: Workers and Unions in Colonial Java, 1908-1926

Overview

Beginning with the struggles to create the first labor unions in 1910 and ending with the colonial government's suppression of union activities after the Surabaya strikes in late 1925, the author examines the experiences of the early generations of urbanized workers in Indonesia. He draws heavily on archives and newspapers in both Indonesia and the Netherlands to present the first in-depth look at the hopes and expectations of urban workers during the turbulent years of labor militancy and union organization.