Deputy Minister Says 'Inhumane' in Ojol Drivers Eid Bonus Debacle

March 27, 2025 | 08:41 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Deputy Minister of Manpower Immanuel Ebenezer Gerungan called the Rp50,000 Eid bonus given to online motorcycle taxi (ojol) drivers to be an “inhumane” practice.

“If that’s true, for example, someone who has been working for 5 years with an annual income of tens of millions (of rupiah), but the Eid bonus is merely Rp50,000, then that is very inhumane,” he said on Tuesday, March 25, 2025.

Immanuel said he’s been informed by applicators that the Eid bonus of Rp50,000 is given only to ojol drivers who are considered part-timers. For example, he said, drivers who have been working for less than three months, or those with low productivity.

The level of performance affects the Eid allowance figures, as the Rp50,000 bonus is provided under Category 5 drivers. “That's the information conveyed to me by the digital platforms. Because I called those people directly," he said.

But the deputy minister said he would still ask for further clarifications after the Indonesian Transportation Workers Union (SPAI) lodged a complaint. Immanuel mentioned that the report submitted by SPAI is data-based because it attaches evidence of the total annual salary of several ojol drivers.

According to the salary recapitulation shown by SPAI, Tempo observed that several drivers earned income ranging from Rp30 million to Rp100 million per year. "We will also try to check with these application operators. Why are there drivers with incomes of Rp35 million, others with Rp93 million, some with Rp70 million in annual earnings, but only receive Rp50 thousand of Eid bonus?" said Immanuel. 

He stated that it is unlikely for the drivers to demand an Eid bonus derived from the company's commissioners and directors' salaries. He is convinced that the ojol drivers are only demanding their rights as regulated in the Minister of Manpower's circular letter.

SPAI Chairperson Lily Pujiati previously reported the application operators to the Ministry of Manpower's holiday allowance post for giving Rp50,000 Eid bonus to its partners, or ojol drivers. However, according to Lily, with earnings ranging from Rp93 million to Rp100 million per year, she calculated that the partners should receive a bonus of around Rp1.7 million. 

"We believe this is discrimination and an insult to ojol drivers,” she said on Tuesday, adding that the companies are suspected of violating the country’s regulation.

According to Lily, the number of ojol drivers who only received Rp50 thousand reached 80 percent of the 800 complaints she received. "We ask the government to monitor, urge, or reinforce that the application operators must provide a certain amount of Eid allowance in cash to the drivers in accordance with the regulations," she said.

Editor’s Choice: Ministry to Summon App Operators Over Rp50K Eid Bonus Complaints from Ojol Drivers

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