Thousands of gig workers for e-hailing companies in Indonesia took to the streets across the country on Tuesday (20 May) to protest their welfare and a proposed merger between the country’s largest tech company with a US-listed e-hailing company.
The protests took place in the streets of the capital city of Jakarta and 17 other cities in the country, with the Indonesian Online Drivers Union (SPOI) in a statement during the protest revealing how 12 e-hailing drivers and riders had died in the country due to overwork.
E-hailing riders and drivers stage a massive protest across Indonesia
As reported by CNBC Indonesia, SPOI chairman Mahmud Fly said that the deaths were related to the extreme overwork of e-hailing gig workers, with working hours as high as 18 hours per day just to earn IDR300,000 or approximately RM78.
Mahmud asserted,
“12 of our e-hailing friends have died due to overwork. To get IDR300,000 (RM78), we have to work for 18 hours a day. Our e-hailing friends have been experiencing this since August 2024,”
12 e-hailing riders and drivers have died in Indonesia due to overwork, including a rider who starved to death while waiting for a food order
For illustration purposes
He further revealed a tragic case in Medan, where an e-hailing rider had reportedly starved to death while waiting for a food order.
Mahmud said,
“Just imagine, we deliver food for others, but we ourselves die of starvation. This is because the government doesn’t care,”
The SPOI chairman further claimed that throughout the 10 years of e-hailing companies existing in Indonesia, the government has turned a blind eye to the welfare of e-hailing riders and drivers in the country.
So, what do you guys think of the whole situation? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Also read: Kind Man Gives E-Hailing Driver Extra Cash, Tells Him to Go Home & Spend Time With His Family
