Online Ojek Drivers to Protest Welfare at Merdeka Palace and Gojek, Grab Offices

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Thousands of online ojek (motorcycle taxi) or ‘ojol’ drivers plan to protest in three places today, Thursday, August 29, 2024. They are demanding the government and corporations pay attention to drivers’ welfare and legal protection. The drivers will protest at Merdeka Palace, Gojek’s office in Petojo, and Grab’s office in Cilandak.

“Our colleagues informed us that the action will be participated by 500 to 1,000 ojol drivers from various communities in Greater Jakarta, with the protest planned for 12:00 p.m. Jakarta time,” says the Head of Garda Indonesia, Igun Wicaksono, in a written statement on Wednesday, August 28.

Igun hopes online ojek corporations respect the aspirations of their partners as part of necessary suggestions before adopting relevant policies. “And for the government to draw conclusions on the recurring problems in the online transportation community,” he adds.

Additionally, Igun says his association respects and supports peaceful protest as long as it causes no disruption. According to Igun, the protest is a show of solidarity for the increasingly repressed online ojek drivers. Meanwhile, online ojek drivers currently hold no legal standing in the form of a law to protect them.

“The protests are driven by lack of solution from (online transportation) platforms and firm sanctions from the government,” Igun says.

Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Indonesian Transport Workers Union (SPAI) Lily Pujiati says that the online ojek drivers protest is intended to demand the online ojek platforms to fulfill partners’ welfare. "People's protests, including platform workers such as online ojek, online taxis, and couriers, have been going on for a long time in various cities. They demand welfare, humane working conditions, and decent wages," she says on  Wednesday.

According to Lily, online ojek drivers' income is decreasing due to fare war between platforms such as Gojek, Grab, Maxim, Shopee, Indrive, Lalamove, Borzo, and others. "The platform arbitrarily sets low rates because it considers its relationship with online ojek workers to be a partnership," she says.

With this partner status, Lily says online ojek drivers and couriers automatically lose their workers’ rights. According to her, drivers and couriers are forced to work more than 8 hours, making them prone to fatigue and work accidents. 

"Not to mention, we don't get humane monthly wages because we are only rewarded per customer orders. We don't get overtime pay like workers in general," she says. "We miss our breaks to earn money to pay for rent and children's school fees." 

Women online ojek drivers, she adds, often have their rights during pregnancy, childbirth, and even miscarriage ignored. "Thus, we demand the opportunity to breastfeed children and for the platforms to provide daycare for our children," said Lily.

Drivers also demand the platforms remove the option to suspend, postpone, and terminate partnerships. She also hopes corporations will recognize workers' rights by supporting the existence of labor unions. "Give us the right to form a labor union to conduct collective bargaining on an equal basis with the platform," she concludes.

ADIL AL HASAN

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