The labour movement in colonial Indonesia is an important part of Indonesian history. The accepted convention is that after 1926, there was little or no labour activity in the colony, or at least little of any consequence. This article argues that much was going on but that it was of a different character from earlier years because of the limitations imposed by the colonial government. The Indonesian Study Club, based in Surabaya and led by Dr Sutomo, had a central role. The creation of labour unions was part of a broader effort to create enduring linkages between the western educated Surabaya elite and Surabaya workers.