Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Thousands of ride-hailing drivers in Indonesia are set to stage a large-scale protest on Monday (February 17, 2025). The mass demand the government to address several issues, including their right to receive holiday bonuses (THR).
The Indonesian Transport Workers’ Union (SPAI) announced that the demonstration would take place in front of the Ministry of Manpower (Kemnaker) headquarters on Jalan Gatot Subroto, South Jakarta, starting at 10:00 AM local time.
SPAI Chairperson Lily Pujiati said the protest is expected to draw between 500 and 1,000 online Ride-Hailing (Ojol) drivers from various regions. As part of the protest, SPAI has also urged ride-hailing drivers nationwide to go on a mass “off-bid” strike, meaning they will not accept passengers or delivery orders.
“We have called on all drivers to go off-bid on February 17. The strike will not be limited to Jakarta but will also take place in other regions, including Sukabumi, Dumai, Pontianak, and Pangkal Pinang,” Lily said, as reported by CNBC Indonesia.
Demands for Fair Treatment
SPAI criticized the ride-hailing platforms for using the concept of “flexible partnerships” as a loophole to avoid paying holiday bonuses. Lily argued that while these companies reap significant profits, they do so at the expense of their drivers’ well-being.
“The platforms profit by avoiding obligations such as paying minimum wages and other workers’ rights, including overtime pay, menstrual and maternity leave, and an eight-hour workday,” she said.
SPAI has urged the Ministry of Manpower to issue clear regulations that require ride-hailing companies to provide holiday bonuses (THR).
Platform Price Competition
Lily also called for stricter rules to regulate competition among ride-hailing platforms, highlighting that many ride-hailing companies engage in aggressive price competition, which negatively impacts drivers’ livelihoods.
Therefore, the platform-provided incentives have failed to improve drivers’ welfare and instead force them to work continuously, often exceeding the standard eight-hour workday.
“Ride-hailing drivers are forced to work 17 hours or more due to the uncertainty of per-order earnings, which are determined by platform algorithms that primarily benefit the companies,” Lily said.
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SPAI will continue to push for holiday bonuses for ride-hailing drivers and oversee the implementation of relevant regulations, which the Ministry of Manpower is expected to introduce.
As the protest take place, the demand for holiday bonuses reflects growing frustration among ride-hailing workers, who accuse platform companies of neglecting their labor rights despite years of service.
(Raidi/Agung)
