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View all search resultsGig workers’ fight for rights gains momentum from Geneva to Jakarta
The government should know that gig workers want rights equal to most employees and anything less than comprehensive employer-sponsored schemes is just not enough.
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Logos of ride-hailing service providers Gojek and Grab are seen on helmets on Nov. 12, 2025, worn by an ojol (online motorcycle transportation) driver and his passenger in Jakarta. (The Jakarta Post/Iqro Rinaldi)
The global fight to secure social protection for millions of digital platform workers is reaching a decisive moment.
This past June, the International Labour Organization (ILO) gained a historic mandate in Geneva to pursue a binding convention supplemented by a recommendation on "Decent Work in the Platform Economy." The mandate affirms that platform flexibility must not compromise human dignity and security. Final negotiations for adoption are set for June 2026.
With one of the largest online ride-hailing and delivery markets in all of Southeast Asia, nowhere perhaps is this issue more pressing than in Indonesia where the digital economy is a vital lifeline for millions of its citizens who rely on app-based work as their mainstay and a bulwark against economic uncertainty.
Yet, a wide disconnect remains between the ambitions of Geneva and the harsh realities of the Jakarta streets. Especially as there is now a rumor about a potential merger between Grab and Gojek, or GoTo, that threatens gig workers' income and bargaining power.
The pandemic saw the emergence of the gig economy as essential income sources for workers and crucial for those who needed their services. Their immense contribution to the economy notwithstanding, gig workers remain in limbo as current labor laws do not recognize them as workers or employees. As such, their contributions are seen as voluntary and are therefore denied access to unions, health insurance, social security or retirement benefits.
However, the status quo is changing as gig workers become more aware of their collective power and are now better organized to assert their rights. For example, in late 2025, thousands of online delivery and transport drivers affiliated with the Garda Indonesia Association and other allied groups held mass protests in Jakarta to demand legal protections and economic fairness from the government and apps such as Gojek and Grab.
The government has finally woken up to the fact that the "partners" tag no longer applies and is now fast-tracking a new bill regarding on-demand transport. In addition, one of the largest political parties has proposed a bill on the Protection of Gig Economy Workers that grants social security financing schemes and other protections like defining worker status and rights, sick leave, dispute resolution and the right to organize.
