May Day Protest: Lagos Ride-Hailing Drivers Demand Fair Labor Practices And Safety Measures

Thousands of app-based ride-hailing drivers in Lagos are preparing to stage a mass protest on May 1st, aligning their action with International Workers’ Day to demand fair treatment from major transport platforms like Uber, Bolt, inDrive, Lagride, and Rida.

This coordinated action, organized by the Lagos chapter of the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON), involves a full boycott of the ride-hailing apps. The union says the protest is in response to long-standing labor issues, including poor pay, sudden account suspensions, increased security threats, and generally unfavorable working conditions.

According to a public statement released on Tuesday, Steven Iwindoye, AUATON’s Public Relations Officer, condemned the ride-hailing companies for their ongoing neglect of drivers’ concerns, stating that the platforms have shown a “clear disregard for the rights and welfare of drivers.”

“Dialogue has failed. These companies respond only when their profits are threatened,” said Iwindoye. “By suspending our services, we are making it clear that we deserve dignity and safety.”

Key Demands and Concerns

The union is particularly alarmed by what it describes as unjust commission structures, enforced use of facial recognition technologies, and the lack of proper passenger verification, all of which it claims put drivers at continuous risk.

This protest marks a significant escalation in the struggle between Nigerian ride-hailing drivers and tech giants, echoing similar actions seen globally in places like California, where drivers have taken legal action over employment classifications (source: The Guardian).

For Nigerian drivers, AUATON emphasizes that this May Day protest is about reclaiming their dignity and demanding a safe, respectful, and economically fair work environment.

Read more about Nigeria’s labor union protests and how they’re reshaping worker rights across sectors.

See global comparisons in The Guardian’s coverage of Uber and Lyft labor rights battles.