This book is about the creation and enforcement of labour law in Indonesia, a topic that reflects the broader processes of social and political change in the country. Its starting point is... Show more This book is about the creation and enforcement of labour law in Indonesia, a topic that reflects the broader processes of social and political change in the country. Its starting point is the notion of the trade union as a crucial institution in any modern industrial capitalist society, with the potential of promoting some measure of equity and social justice in society. The book discusses three case-studies relating to three major pieces of labour legislation enacted since the Reformasi of 1998 in Indonesia. The first is about trade union legislation, the second about minimum wage policy, and the third about the Industrial Relations Court. These cases show how labour law in Indonesia is best understood as the result of the struggles between different social groups and competing ideologies, which change over time. The author argues that despite all the problems and challenges there remains hope for the development of a sound and effective labour law in Indonesia. This is due in particular to the development of the trade union movement in the country. Unions form a countervailing power against capital and corporate power, and may thus ensure that the results of development are redistributed fairly throughout society. They are also agents of education: their efforts to develop new labour laws and enforce labour standards make workers aware of their rights and may even help in developing a higher degree of rights-consciousness in society more generally. This book is about the creation and enforcement of labour law in Indonesia, a topic that reflects the broader processes of social and political change in the country. Its starting point is the notion of the trade union as a crucial institution in any modern industrial capitalist society, with the potential of promoting some measure of equity and social justice in society. The book discusses three case-studies relating to three major pieces of labour legislation enacted since the Reformasi of 1998 in Indonesia. The first is about trade union legislation, the second about minimum wage policy, and the third about the Industrial Relations Court. These cases show how labour law in Indonesia is best understood as the result of the struggles between different social groups and competing ideologies, which change over time. The author argues that despite all the problems and challenges there remains hope for the development of a sound and effective labour law in Indonesia. This is due in particular to the development of the trade union movement in the country. Unions form a countervailing power against capital and corporate power, and may thus ensure that the results of development are redistributed fairly throughout society. They are also agents of education: their efforts to develop new labour laws and enforce labour standards make workers aware of their rights and may even help in developing a higher degree of rights-consciousness in society more generally. Show less
In the investigation, the domestic sources of foreign policy analytical framework were used to analyze the dynamics of elites in foreign policy making. After analyses of the results of mostly... Show moreIn the investigation, the domestic sources of foreign policy analytical framework were used to analyze the dynamics of elites in foreign policy making. After analyses of the results of mostly personal interviews and historical materials, it was determined that political elites do matter in foreign policy making. However, the elite group that mattered most was still the bureaucratic elite. The non-governing political elites were influential in foreign policy making during the formulation stage but not in the implementation stage. This finding was surprising and was contrary to what has been at the onset embraced by conventional wisdom among policy analysts and policy makers in the analysis of foreign policy in democratizing countries. With democratization, it was thought at the outset that the non-governmental political elites such as Parliament, members of the civil society such as religious, academia, and media, and the military both each as a group and collectively as being not in executive power play a significant role in influencing foreign policy. Moreover, it was found that nationalist ideology, though adapted to the contemporary situation, is embraced by everyone else except by the decision makers when making foreign policy decisions. Decision makers continue to embrace realpolitik as the basis upon which to decide on foreign policy. However, ideology was instrumental during the formulation phase of foreign policy making for the four political elite groups under study. Show less