Across Thailand and Java, bike delivery workers are turning insecure platform jobs into opportunities for collective action — with support from UnionAID projects.
For Thai rider Supaporn Phanprasit, 18-hour days once meant sleeping on the steps of a 7-Eleven rather than going home to her family. UnionAID-supported union education has helped riders understand their rights, the pressures of algorithmic management and, most importantly, how to organise together.
That organising is already delivering results. The Rangsit Riders Union now has 50 active members, including four women on its committee. A second group, the Bowin Riders’ Group, has also been established, with 26 riders electing their own leadership.
In Java, UnionAID-supported organising is helping delivery riders overcome the isolation of app-based work, build worker networks and develop the confidence and skills to advocate for better rights, conditions and security.
