Serikat Buruh 1945–1948: Menduduki Stasiun, Menguasai Perkebunan, Menjalankan Pabrik / Trade Unions 1945–1948: Occupying Railway Stations, Taking Over Plantations, Running Factories

This book offers an in-depth study of labor unions in Java during the critical years of 1945–1948, examining how workers organized independently to take control of railway stations, plantations, and factories in the aftermath of Indonesian independence. Challenging state-centered interpretations of postcolonial labor politics, Jafar Suryomenggolo highlights the active role of workers in safeguarding vital infrastructure, sustaining production, and shaping revolutionary processes. The book analyzes the complex and often tense relationship between labor unions and the newly formed Indonesian state, while also exploring how political ideologies influenced internal union dynamics and workers’ strategies during the revolution.