TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Deputy Minister for Political and Security Coordination, Lodewijk Freidrich Paulus, stated that the Indonesian government is preparing regulations for online motorcycle taxi drivers to receive Eid allowances (THR) this year.

Lodewijk said that the Ministry of Manpower is preparing the regulations so that motorcycle taxi drivers or online motorcycle taxi drivers can receive their THR rights according to applicable regulations. "So it's being prepared," he said after holding a meeting at the Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs office in Jakarta on Monday, February 24, 2025.

According to Lodewijk, discussions regarding the general scheme for providing THR have also been discussed in a coordination meeting on the preparations for Ramadan and Eid today. In the meeting, Golkar Party politician requested the Ministry of Manpower to ensure that THR is allocated to the rightful people.

THR distribution, Lodewijk said, must not be delayed so that people can meet their living needs during Ramadan. "The principle of seven days before Eid is expected that this THR can be received by employees scattered throughout Indonesia," said Lodewijk.

Previously, hundreds of online motorcycle taxi drivers staged a demonstration in front of the Ministry of Manpower office in Jakarta on Monday, February 17, 2025. The demonstration brought several demands related to the welfare of online drivers such as online motorcycle taxi drivers, online taxi drivers, and couriers.

This demonstration was followed by a work strike. Online drivers carried out a mass off-bid action or turned off the application so that travel orders could not be made for a full day. One of the demands brought by this action was the certainty of THR from the online transportation platform companies.

Minister of Manpower Yassierli previously said the draft regulation on THR for online drivers could be in the form of a circular letter (SE) or ministerial regulation (Permen). "We promise this THR moment as proof that employers and then the drivers do harmoniously work together," said Yassierli at the Ministry of Manpower office in Jakarta on Monday, February 17, 2025.

Currently, based on Minister of Manpower Regulation Number 6 of 2016, companies are only required to provide THR to employees who have at least a Fixed-Term Work Agreement (PKWTT). Online drivers are not considered mandatory to receive THR because they have a partnership working relationship with the application companies.

One of the owners of the digital platform providing online transportation services Gojek, PT GoTo Gojek Tokopedia Tbk., stated willingness to provide Eid holiday bonuses. However, the assistance is called Tali Asih Hari Raya and not THR.

Chief of Public Policy & Government Relations GoTo Group Ade Mulya said that online motorcycle taxi drivers until now have the status of company partners. "Drivers are independent partners who have flexibility in managing their own working hours and not permanent employees," said Ade in a written statement on Tuesday, February 18, 2025.

Sultan Abdurrahman contributed in the writing of this article.

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