JISEAS Issue Paper No. 19

"Labor Movements and Welfare Politics in Indonesia:

Interview with a Local Expert in Labor Studies"

by Fransiscus S. Joyoadisumarta and Je Seong Jeon

Abstract

In the 2010s, the Indonesian working class was the critical agent for welfare reform. Organized labor in Indonesia has contributed to establishing a secure universal health care system through complex class mobilization and coalition building. We discussed this matter via e-mail and Zoom meetings with local labor researcher Franciscus S. Joyoadisumarta. He stated that the Indonesian labor organizations were unfamiliar with the concepts of universal health care and social security when the reform began. As a consequence, the concept became a source of controversy among labor organizations with varied ideological roots. This contentious concept and interactions influenced the design of the Social Security Providers Act. While numerous improvements are needed, this law provides access to universal health care to all individuals, not only workers, as part of Indonesia's welfare system. This is one of the success stories of the working class that we might hear on May Day. Furthermore, this example from Indonesia provides strong evidence that the democratic process provides real results for the people.

* Please find the attached file for JISEAS Issue Paper No. 19.