Bridging Gaps in Indonesia’s Social Protection Policy: Lessons fromSingapore’s Platform Worker Act for Indonesia
Keywords:
gig economy platform workers social protectionAbstract
The gig economy in Indonesia is rapidly expanding, accounting for around 59.1% of workers engaged in informal work, such as motorcycle taxi drivers. Gojek, as one of the major private transportation companies, contributes to the development of informal work, providing flexible income opportunities through motorcycle taxis and ride-hailing car services. Despite the growing number of online motorcycle taxi (Ojol) drivers and their vital role in Indonesia’s economy, they are classified as partners or independent contractors under the Indonesian Law number 20 of 2008. The informal worker status limits their access to social protection, as the current government regulation relies on the voluntary registration system. This voluntary participation in social protection raises concerns about the welfare of online drivers. The voluntary nature in the 2021 Indonesia’s Mitra-based Worker Protection illustrates weak enforcement, with only less than 15% of the estimated Ojol drivers were registered in employment social protection. This paper employs the concept of policy transfer, as outlined by Dolowitz and Marsh (2000), to examine how critical lessons from the 2025 Singapore Platform Act can strengthen Indonesia’s efforts in protecting Ojol drivers. The Singapore Platform Act introduces a comprehensive scheme of protection for platform workers, including mandatory security contributions and work injury compensation. By drawing on a literature review of government regulations, academic works, policy reports, and news, this paper identifies key elements of the Singapore Platform Act and examines the applicability to the Indonesian context. This paper argues that by adopting mandatory contributions schemes and a stronger enforcement system, Indonesia can close its social protection regulatory gap, establish a robust regulatory framework, and ensure sustainable social protection for Ojol drivers.
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