Indonesia’s gig drivers threaten to ignite ‘ojol revolution’ as inequality deepens
‘We work through rain and sun for our families. We just don’t want to be mistreated by authorities and operators,’ a gig rider says
The chairman of one of the country’s largest motorcycle taxi associations has promised “greater and greater escalation”, warning that millions of drivers are ready to ignite what he calls the ojol revolution, “ojol” being a shorthand for motorcycle taxi drivers booked through apps like Gojek or Grab.
Just weeks ago, Wicaksono and his fellow workers joined students and labourers and helped force lawmakers to scale back official perks and oust some politicians from parliament. On Wednesday, thousands of drivers will be back at parliament again, demanding laws that protect gig workers who keep Southeast Asia’s biggest economy humming.
“We are ready to be the trigger for another revolution in Indonesia because millions of our peers are no longer able to live a decent life,” said Wicaksono, chairman of Garda, a drivers’ association with almost 7,000 members that is organising the protest.
Motorcycle taxi driving was supposed to be a stopgap for the jobless. Instead, it has become a national symbol of what economists call Indonesia’s employment crisis: 59 per cent of workers are stuck in the informal sector, grinding long hours for little pay and virtually no security. A Gates Foundation-backed study estimates drivers earn just US$163 a month in Jakarta – half the city’s minimum wage.