Community: Jurnal Hasil Penelitian dan Pengabdian Masyarakat
Vol. 5 No. 1 (2026): Action Research and Community Development

The Power of the Labor Union Association in Advocating for Changes to Contract Worker Status: A Case Study of Kasbi Karawang

Thessa Anny Caroline Manihuruk (Ilmu Pemerintahan, Universitas Singaperbangsa Karawang)
Indra Aditya (Ilmu Pemerintahan, Universitas Singaperbangsa Karawang)



Article Info

Publish Date
30 Sep 2026

Abstract

The extensive use of fixed-term employment contracts (PKWT) in Karawang's industrial zone has become a structural source of labor precarity. This study examines how the associational power of Federasi Serikat Pekerja Karawang under KASBI (FSPEK-KASBI) functions as a collective mechanism to advocate for the conversion of contract worker status (PKWT) to permanent employment (PKWTT). Drawing on the Power Resources Approach (PRA) by Schmalz, Ludwig, and Webster (2018), a qualitative case study was conducted through in-depth interviews, document analysis, and non-participant observation of union activities. Findings demonstrate that the union's associational power is constituted by four interdependent components organizational infrastructure, operational efficiency, active member participation, and internal cohesion which together enable a layered advocacy strategy spanning labor education, legal documentation of PKWT violations, bipartite negotiation, and tripartite mediation. The outcomes include verified conversions to permanent employment, normalization of statutory overtime payments, and the dismantling of exploitative short-term contract rotation schemes. Constraining factors include management retaliation against union founders, limited public awareness, and the absence of formal base-level representation in federation governance. The study contributes to labor union revitalization literature by demonstrating that associational power can generate tangible employment security gains for precarious workers within global manufacturing supply chains, even under significant structural and regulatory constraints.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

cm

Publisher

Subject

Education Public Health Social Sciences

Description

FOCUS Community: Jurnal Hasil Penelitian dan Pengabdian Masyarakat (Journal of Research and Community Service) is a peer-reviewed journal published by Perkumpulan Dosen Tarbiyah Islam Indonesia (PDTII) and focuses on publishing articles resulting from research and community service carried out by ...