The Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON) has brought together stakeholders in the e-hailing sector to develop a regulatory framework to improve the conditions of the workers.
The union, at its Lagos Restorative Conference on Monday, unveiled the framework, “The Lagos Declaration on Improving the Conditions of Platform Workers”.
The framework contains 30 partnership commitments organised around five principles and agenda including empowerment; community; accountability; compensation, and safety.
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AUATON’s President, Mr Adedamola Adeniran, identified loss of lives of platform workers as one of the major challenges facing the union members.
Adeniran said, therefore, there was a need for a secure system that could prevent the loss of lives of the workers and prevent the pain and suffering that they faced.
He said also, other challenges that caused harm to the workerS include the deactivation of workers, and welfare.
“The current legal framework only provides that state governments charge platforms for registration, but neglect the needs and concerns of workers in the sector.
“It neglects welfare and security concerns of workers, but this regulation that we are about to have in place, addresses those concerns.
“Whether it be the welfare of workers in terms of healthcare, pension, even a trip insurance while every worker is on every trip.
“However, the most important is that it addresses the deactivation of workers; dismissal of workers; creating a proper channel of communication for workers.
“Also, for workers representatives to deal directly with platforms to restore back accounts that have been deactivated by platforms, “ he said.
Also, a guest speaker, an Assistant Professor in Criminology, Maynooth University, Ireland, Dr Ian Marder, who lauded the conference said restorative justice was relevant to the agenda of the conference.
He lectured on the topic, “Restorative Justice and Corporate Harm”
Marder said: “This is actually a lot more responsive to people’s needs than if a small number of people just decided on people’s behalf.
“For example, this is all about bringing people together to understand each other better to collaborate.
“It is about recognising and addressing the harm that has happened in the past and that is still ongoing.
“However, it is also looking toward the future and thinking about how can we build a better future together by engaging in dialogue.
“Also, understanding each other’s experiences better by bringing together the stakeholders to participate in making decisions together; that is what restorative justice has to say.”
Present at the conference were Representatives of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment; app-based companies; platform workers.
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