The drivers of e-hailing taxis in Nigeria have officially unionised as the Nigerian Government presented a letter of approval of registration to the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transport Workers of Nigeria (AUATWON).
The letter presentation was made on Tuesday by Nigeria’s Labour Minister, Chris Ngige after FG approved the union.
The union members comprise app-based transport workers, online transport services, and e-hailing drivers and operators in Nigeria.
A milestone: The Minister said it was a milestone achievement for Nigeria’s Labour scene, stating that it is a major step to formalise Nigeria’s informal sector. He said:
- “Hitherto, we gave recognition and certification to workers in the formal sector, including the private sector, such as banks, oil and gas, and insurance, among other technical areas.
- “Recently, the two newly registered university-based unions, the Congress for University Academics (CONUA) and the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) were also given.
- “Today, we are breaking new ground with those in the informal sector who are employing themselves and from there, employing others”.
First steps: Ngige revealed that the promoters of AUATWON applied for registration as a trade union on April 27, 2021, to cater for self-employed persons in the field of IT-based transportation services, adding:
- “We considered necessary factors and perimeters, especially the global movement, which is sponsored mostly by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to formalise the informal sector.”
- “In our case today, we have a hybrid of the forgone in the informal economy that owned and operate economic units which may also further include employers and members of cooperatives of social and solidarity economy units”.
Necessities: The Labour Chief also added that the ministry decided to register AUATWON to enable the organisation of the new but growing segment of the informal economy, and enable the government to monitor the security component of transportation systems in Nigeria
- “We are also backed by an international position on the unionisation of self-employed workers.
- “The need to ensure that such workers enjoy trade union rights for the purpose of furthering and defending their interest, which includes collective bargaining, has often been emphasised in different fora, concerning the world of work.
- “But for the self-employed, it is a different kind of collective bargaining, tailored to suit the peculiarities of the self-employed segment of workers.”
He added this would also be a collective bargaining mechanism to transverse the international shores of Nigeria, as such apps are usually foreign-owned and operated and urged the union to observe the provisions of Section 3 of the Trade Disputes Act, CAP.T8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN), 2004.
Dr Adedaramola Adeniran, the President of AUATWON said that before now, the sector was threatened by a lack of policy that protects their industry.
- “This great job will protect workers by ensuring their safety and promote the responsibility of app-based unions,” he added.
Welcome development
Good move.
Am so happy for this move . Aluta continua
I just hope this benefit we that earn our income with transportation apps and not some politicians trying to coin self revenue from us. And there is a president already yet non of the drivers know about this association. Please let the executives come from the drivers not those who are not in the field to know what challenges we are facing daily.
True talk…u just said it all…u made a 1billions sence here..the executives should come from d drivers in the field with experience…thanks
I hope this will stop Abuja agbero from harassing e hailing drivers or else
I want to join the association how to go about it
How is the membership authenticated?
If the actually want dis to work, drivers should be part of the ministry
Nice development 👍👍👍👍🤝
I like this development and I will like to be a member
I just hope this work out for we members of e- hailing not all this politicians.
This is really the right move in the right direction, kudos to all the app based drivers.
I really hope it won’t be an avenue for some set of people to enrich themselves all in the name of unionisms like some guys did in lagos with lag ride case.
Interesting, I’m sure they will be a fixed price now for all routes.
This is awesome development.I would like to be part of this
Thank God. Even if this is government intervention for the sector, there should be public announcement of meetings, venue and time for meetings so that we all in this sector can participate and take over the association accordingly. God bless Nigeria and great Nigerian.
ow can we meet we need to go and meet ordinary president and do d right tin if not all ds politicians will just start extortion why will u do meeting without announcements.