The Confederation of South Sulawesi Ojol Trade Unions (KSOS) has\naffirmed that online motorcycle taxi (ojol) drivers cannot automatically\nbe categorised as labourers simply because they work through digital\nplatforms.<\/p>\n
KSOS Chairman Hairun H said that a driver\u2019s status must be assessed\non the basis of their actual working conditions, not merely on the\nexistence of an application or the terms used in a contract.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlatforms cannot escape responsibility simply because their\ncontracts use the term \u2018partner\u2019. But at the same time, we as ojol\ndrivers also cannot automatically be called labourers just because the\nplatform sets service standards, matches us with customers, or processes\npayments,\u201d Hairun said at a meeting with KSOS officials some time\nago.<\/p>\n
According to him, determining an employment relationship must\nconsider several elements, including the degree of platform control, the\ndriver\u2019s freedom to decide their working hours, and the pattern and\nstructure of the remuneration received.<\/p>\n
KSOS also referred to labour provisions that define an employment\nrelationship as a relationship between an employer and a worker or\nlabourer based on an employment agreement containing elements of work,\nwages, and command.<\/p>\n
In Hairun\u2019s view, these provisions do not automatically make all\napp-based work a conventional employment relationship.<\/p>\n
\u201cDrivers are not a uniform population. Some depend heavily on a\nsingle platform, some use several applications at once. Some only work\nat certain hours, and others combine ojol work with trading, permanent\njobs, or local services,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
For this reason, KSOS rejects an approach that lump all ojol drivers\ninto a single legal status.<\/p>\n
According to Hairun, this diversity of working patterns actually\nshows that drivers have the character of independent workers or\ntransaction-based business operators.<\/p>\n
\u201cA uniform classification could turn the diversity of drivers\u2019\neconomic conditions into a single legal relationship that may not match\nthe reality on the ground,\u201d he asserted.<\/p>\n
KSOS stated that maintaining independent status does not mean it\nwishes to free platforms from responsibility. On the contrary, the\norganisation is urging the government to build a protection system\nsuited to the character of gig economy work.<\/p>\n
Such protections include occupational safety, portable social\nsecurity, transparency of fares and deductions, fair contracts, a\nsuspend mechanism that can be challenged, personal data protection, and\ndrivers\u2019 rights to organise and bargain.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing independent does not mean being without protection. Precisely\nbecause this relationship differs from a conventional employment\nrelationship, the state must provide protections that match drivers\u2019\nreality,\u201d Hairun explained.<\/p>\n
He also touched on the provision of bonuses or holiday allowances\n(BHR) to drivers, which he said does not automatically form a basis for\nchanging the legal status of ojol drivers to labourers.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust because we have all been given BHR, do not assume we must be\nregarded as labourers,\u201d Hairun stressed.<\/p>\n
KSOS hopes the government will not rush into creating a single\nclassification for all ojol drivers. In its view, policy must be able to\nrecognise work flexibility while ensuring platforms remain responsible\nfor drivers\u2019 welfare and protection.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ojol-drivers-have-independent-status-not-labourers-1789444261", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }