PB 08 – Online Ojek Drivers and Decent Work

Online Taxi Driver and Decent Work

Behind the impressive record of online motorcycle taxis in providing fast and affordable transportation alternatives, not many have investigated the eligibility of their drivers. Prakarsa found that online motorcycle taxi drivers have not enjoyed decent work.

Meanwhile, Prakarsa found other facts that are not widely known to the public, namely online motorcycle taxi drivers do not enjoy decent work. Online ojek drivers still have the status of informal workers even though they are positioned as partners. The increase in income after becoming an online motorcycle taxi driver was not accompanied by progress in work relations and protection for employment. On the other hand, the value of the assets of companies providing online motorcycle taxi applications rose sharply to tens of trillions of rupiah.

Responding to the condition of online motorcycle taxi drivers, it is necessary to push for regulations that regulate online motorcycle taxis not only from the transportation perspective, but also in terms of protecting the rights of online motorcycle taxi drivers. Prakarsa This Policy Brief describes the importance of decent work for online motorcycle taxi drivers, highlights the employment challenges faced by online motorcycle taxi drivers and provides decent work policy recommendations for online motorcycle taxi drivers.

The Importance of Decent Work

Decent work is not limited to job creation alone, but also the creation of quality jobs that are acceptable to all parties. Decent work includes opportunities to work productively, generate a fair income, provide safety at work, social security for workers and their families, and provide freedom to express their concerns, to organize and participate in decisions that affect their lives (ILO, 1999). Substantially, the pillars of decent work are a unified work dimension that must be placed in one framework.

Decent work is important to achieve because most of human life is spent in the work environment and everyone has hope for a better life. The work environment landscape is an important factor in determining the level of happiness and health for both himself and his family. However, not all jobs have met decent work standards, especially jobs in the informal sector with uncertain income rhythms such as in the world of online motorcycle taxis.

Decent work is also key in efforts to reduce poverty and as a means of achieving inclusive, equitable and sustainable development. If people are prevented from accessing decent work, inequality and poverty will persist. As a result, development progress will be slow. 

Experience shows that economic growth alone is not enough. Research by the International Labor Organization (ILO) shows that countries that invest in quality jobs grow faster. This means that the level of employment (quantity) cannot be separated from its quality in obtaining high economic growth.

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