The Federal Government has approved the registration of the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transport Workers of Nigeria as a trade union.
This was; contained in a letter from the Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations Department of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment addressed to the AUATWN.
Federal Government
“I am directed to refer; to your application letter dated 27th April 2021, written pursuant to Section 3 of the Trade Unions Act, CAP. T14 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN), 2014, addressed to the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment; for the Registration of the above-named organisation as a trade union.
“I am further directed; to inform you that after extensive consideration of your application, the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment has; approved the registration of your organisation as a Trade Union with rights and privileges; as stipulated by the Trade Unions Act, cited above.”
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The letter stated that going by the Trade Unions Act, the AUATWN has been; empowered by law to be; able to determine the terms and conditions; of drivers working in any app-based transportation company.
The founding Secretary-General and; the former President of the National Union of Professional App-based Workers, Ibrahim Ayoade, said, “With this approval, what this means is; that AUATWN becomes the first government-approved trade union for e-hailing drivers in Africa.”
Speaking on the development, Comrade Ayoade said; the struggle to unionise app-based drivers started in 2016 when; Uber slashed the income of drivers to 40 per cent without consulting them.
He, therefore, called upon drivers across the country; to join the trade union as they push for more favourable terms of work.
