Understanding the Working Conditions of Gig Workers and Decent Work: Evidence from Indonesia’s online Ojek Riders

Abstract

This article aims to evaluate the working conditions of gig economy workers in Indonesia in order to understand the implications of such work for the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda. The article draws on evidence from focus groups and in-terviews with 38 ojek riders, Indonesian motorcycle taxi drivers from Jakarta, Bogor and Depok. Initial findings suggest that the interviewees chose to be ojek riders due to limited employment opportunities; they perceived that this kind of work is better than contract-based employment massively practiced by many companies in Indonesia. The findings further suggest that the Decent Work Agenda faces considerable challenges from new forms of non-employee work in the absence of a pro-active state agenda to regulate and promote the growth of waged employment.