Gig Workers Rising: Grab Couriers' Self-Organization in Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam (Part One)
One logistics and food delivery platform company, Grab, dominates almost the entirety of Southeast Asian markets. In this two-part conversation, we delve into the dynamic world of collectivization, and the emergence and development of self-organization among Grab couriers and riders in Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Joining us are Toan Le and Reza Rumakat, alongside our cohost, Kiang. Our conversation touches on the prevailing conditions within the logistics and food delivery sectors in Southeast Asia, where frequent "wildcat strikes" and protests serve as primary vehicles for voicing workers' collective demands. In Part One, we look at each locality's unique economic and institutional landscapes, illuminating a clearer understanding of how gig workers are actively shaping their activism. Transitioning into the Part Two of our conversation, we dig deeper into the organizational forms and structures that have emerged within these groups before shedding light on the gender and organizational challenges present within these existing frameworks.In the final segment, Kevin shares his impressions of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) convention in Seattle in early August, and Asian-American labour organising.
