Protests erupt in Indonesia as thousands protest against low wages for private hire drivers and riders

More than 1,000 private taxi drivers and riders have gone on strike in several Indonesian cities, protesting against low wages and calling on the government to provide them with more protection.

Drivers and riders wearing their signature green jackets gathered outside the communications ministry on Thursday and near the Jakarta offices of Indonesia's biggest technology company GoTo and Grab, Southeast Asia's biggest private ride-hailing and food delivery service.

Andy, a representative of the National Online Taxi Alliance, which organized the protest, said drivers want private ride-hailing companies to increase their share of each trip from the current 80 percent, and want the government to give them special status on the terms of their employment so they have more bargaining power.

One of the drivers involved in the demonstration, Wandi, said he worked 10 hours a day but earned less than 150,000 rupiah on most days. That means he earns less than Jakarta's minimum wage of 5 million rupiah a day. "We hope the platform will listen to us."

A spokesman for Gojek, GoTo's private ride-hailing arm, responded that the company was operating normally and welcomed comments from drivers and riders.

Tirza, Grab's head of public affairs in Indonesia, said Grab's fees are aimed at ensuring stable demand for its services, while also taking into account drivers' incomes.

GoTo and Grab offer private ride-hailing, food delivery and other services in several Southeast Asian countries and have a combined market value of about $18 billion.

Nabila, a lecturer in labor law at Gachamada University, said the companies treat drivers and riders as partners and therefore have no legal obligation to set a minimum wage, contribute to social security insurance or limit working hours.

However, she added that the government needs to set minimum and maximum fees for drivers and riders in all industries.

Indonesia's Manpower ministry did not respond to a request for comment, while the transport ministry said it does not regulate fees and urged platforms to listen to drivers.