Understanding Indonesian Industrial Relations in the 1990s

Indonesia has recently experienced an upsurge in incidents of industrial conflict. This article analyses recent strike activity in Indonesia in relation to its historical context and argues that current labour policies may be approaching the end of their useful life. It begins with some historical background and moves through descriptions of recent increases in labour unrest, demonstrated spectacularly in incidents in Sidoarjo, East Java, in May 1993, and in Medan, North Sumatra, in April 1994, to a more general analysis of the character and state of Indonesian industrial relations in the 1990s.