A typology of labour agency in the gig economy: gig drivers' experiences of struggle in Indonesia during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Permana, Muhammad Yorga (2025) A typology of labour agency in the gig economy: gig drivers' experiences of struggle in Indonesia during the COVID‐19 pandemic. New Technology, Work and Employment. ISSN 0268-1072

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Abstract

This article explores how ride‐hailing drivers, couriers, and food‐delivery riders in Indonesia exercised labour agency to improve their working conditions during the Covid‐19 pandemic. Drawing on a survey (N = 997) and in‐depth interviews (N = 30) with gig drivers in Jakarta, it contributes to labour geography and employment relations literature by reconceptualizing labour agency in the gig economy. Four modes of agency are proposed: (1) Individual resilience, (2) Individual reworking and resistance, (3) Collective resilience, and (4) Collective reworking and resistance. This article further presents main obstacles that explain why not all workers may exercise these practices: Fear of potential platform counteraction and moral dilemma hindered workers from resisting the platform. Identity struggles concerning the ‘driver‐partner’ status and the competitive nature of the platform work prevented workers' involvement in collective agency. Meanwhile, free rider problem, fragmented and leaderless movement, and collective frustration posed challenges for workers in translating collective feeling into active solidarity.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2025 The Author(s)
Divisions:	Geography and Environment
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
Date Deposited:	11 Nov 2025 12:21
Last Modified:	14 Nov 2025 09:48
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/130109

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