THE IMPACT OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF EMMAHAVEN PORT ON THE WEST COAST OF SUMATRA ON NIAS WORKERS, 1887-1920s

Abstract

One of the important developments on the west coast of Sumatra in the late 19^th  century was the construction of an international-standard seaport, Emmahaven, now known as Teluk Bayur. Emmahaven was initially intended as a coal export port for coal from Ombilin, Sawahlunto, in the interior of Sumatra. By 1910, the port had developed into an export port for Portland Cement, now known as Semen Padang, and other West Sumatran agricultural products. Emmahaven Harbor Project, which began construction in 1887, required a significant amount of labor, including workers of Nias ethnic background. They were employed by the Dutch colonial government because they were widely recognized for their diligence and tenacity. In addition to their involvement during the construction phase, Nias people were also recruited after the port became operational in 1892 to work as cargo handlers, loading and unloading goods from ships anchored at the pier. The focus of this paper is to analyze the extent to which the construction of Emmahaven Port affected these Nias workers. This paper is written using historical method, by describing and analyzing the Dutch and local data/sources. The findings indicate that employment opportunities at Emmahaven Port and related projects had a significant positive impact on the socio-economic conditions of Nias workers in the diaspora.