TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Minister of Manpower Yassierli has officially issued a Circular urging app operators to pay Eid allowance bonuses to online motorcycle taxi (ojol) drivers and application-based couriers. Yassierli requests that the app operators provide cash bonuses to be paid no later than seven days before Eid. "This religious holiday bonus is an appreciation for their hard work," he said at the Ministry of Manpower office in Jakarta on Tuesday, March 11, 2025.

Yassierli stated that the bonuses are intended for active and productive ojol drivers and couriers. The amount of the bonus is also proportional to their performance, calculated at 20 percent of the average monthly net income over the past year. "This is a government initiative. This is the first of its kind," he said.

He explained that the regulation has been in the making for the past four months. The Ministry, he said, has been in continuous discussions with the app operators and representatives of ojol to determine the bonus distribution formula. He stated that the app operators have committed to paying bonuses to ojol drivers. "This is the point of convergence. There is a commitment from the apps for payment," he said.

President Prabowo Subianto requested that app-based online motorcycle taxi or ojol companies provide holiday bonuses to their driver and courier partners. "All app-based transportation companies are to provide holiday bonuses to online drivers and couriers in the form of cash, taking into consideration their work activity," said Prabowo at the State Palace in Central Jakarta on March 10, 2025.

Prabowo mentioned that there are currently around 250,000 active driver and courier workers, with 1-1.5 million part-time workers. "The amount and mechanism for the holiday bonus will be announced by the Minister of Manpower through the circular," Prabowo stated.

Prabowo urged that the distribution of the holiday bonuses be no later than 7 days before Eid. This decision was made after a meeting with PT Goto CEO Patrick Walujo and Grab CEO Anthony Tan, together with Minister of Manpower Yassierli.

Grab Indonesia stated that they will provide holiday bonuses for their motorcycle and online taxi driver partners. This online-based service will provide bonuses to drivers through a special performance bonus program.

Anthony Tan, Group CEO & Co-Founder of Grab, stated that this special performance bonus program is a form of the company's appreciation for the dedication and contributions of the drivers in welcoming Eid al-Fitr. According to him, the bonus is additional support that is not part of the regular benefits received by workers in the informal economic sector, such as digital platform driver partners (gig workers). "We are delighted to contribute to initiatives that directly benefit our driver partners, who are the backbone of transportation and delivery services in Indonesia, and who have provided the best service to customers so far," said Anthony in an official statement received by Tempo on Monday, March 10, 2025.

Indonesia Transport Workers Union (SPAI) expressed support for the President's call for cash payments to online motorcycle drivers. SPAI Chairman Lily Pujiati emphasized that the union still uses the term 'holiday allowance (THR)' even though Prabowo referred to it as a holiday bonus.

Despite supporting the call, SPAI noted that if the holiday bonuses are based on the drivers' work activity. "Because we see efforts by platform companies to avoid their obligation to pay holiday bonuses by not paying them to all ojol, online taxi drivers, and couriers who have worked and contributed to the profits earned by the platform," said Lily in a statement received by Tempo on Monday, March 10, 2025.

Lily revealed that app operators had sent notifications to driver applications regarding the provision of Cash Holiday Assistance or Special Performance Bonuses only to drivers falling into the categories of champion partners, flagship partners, and exemplary driver partners. This categorization, she said, is based on several requirements, such as active days, online hours, bid acceptance rates, trip completion rates, driver ratings, and also code of conduct compliance. "For us, this is highly discriminatory because the spirit of the holiday allowance is to share with others," she said.

SPAI also demands that the holiday bonuses be paid to all ojol, online taxi drivers, and couriers who have worked and contributed to the platform's profits, regardless of whether the drivers are active, inactive, or discontinued partners (PM).

Ervana Trikarinaputri contributed to the writing of this article.

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