Jakarta. Indonesia’s online drivers are rejecting a plan to change their status from digital platform partners to formal workers under a proposed revision of the country’s employment law, warning that the move could undermine the flexibility that attracts people to gig work.
The Community of Online Drivers (KAJOL) Indonesia said drivers wanted stronger protections but preferred to retain their current partnership arrangements rather than become formal employees.
“We have always rejected the idea of making partners into workers,” KAJOL Indonesia Chairman Firmansyah said at a seminar on the future of Indonesia’s gig and platform economy last week.
The issue has emerged as the House of Representatives (DPR) revises the Employment Law to strengthen protections for workers while taking into account the interests of employers. The draft bill has been submitted to the government, labor unions, and business groups for input, with lawmakers now discussing the provisions article by article with stakeholders.
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The government submitted its list of proposed changes to the DPR in September after the Manpower Ministry, Industry Ministry, and Cooperatives and MSME Ministry collected input from workers and employers.
The bill is targeted for completion by the end of October 2026 following a Constitutional Court ruling that prompted the revision of the employment framework.
Firmansyah said changing online drivers' status could result in rules governing their working hours and...
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