AUATON is weak and divided that’s why Uber, Bolt, inDrive ignore them – union leader

The founding secretary of Nigeria’s e-hailing drivers and app workers union, Comrade Ayoade Ibrahim, has described the union’s current structures as weak, a major reason why the e-hailing companies hardly pay them any mind. The union leader disclosed this in a chat with Technext on the matter.

This comes after several industrial actions and protests carried out by the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON), during which drivers demanded fare reviews in the wake of rising fuel prices. For several days, drivers under the union shut down their apps and took to the streets in Lagos, Ogun, Edo, and Rivers States.

Comrade Ayoade Ibrahim

However, apart from Bolt which said it was monitoring the situation with the aim of introducing targeted measures, the app companies generally ignored the drivers and continued operations as if nothing happened. And Comrade Ayoade chalks it down to weakness.

“AUATON is divided and weak. App companies notice this disunity and simply ignore the union. Why? Because AUATON, in its current state, does not project strength or legitimacy. The hard truth is that without genuine unity, transparent leadership, and a clear focus on workers’ welfare, the union cannot command the respect it deserves or effectively fight for better working conditions, fair pay, and safety.” he said.

See also: Fuel price hike: Nigerian drivers groan as Uber, others raise fares in Australia, New Zealand

He further lamented that the app companies like Uber, Bolt, and inDrive understand the drivers better than the drivers sometimes understand themselves. This lack of understanding of self by drivers is reflected in how some union leaders have established their own app companies or are actively promoting platforms like Uber, Bolt, and inDrive.

“How can such individuals sit at the negotiating table with these same companies? App firms see them not as representatives of workers, but as competitors or insiders. This conflict of interest destroys trust.”

Uber/Bolt drivers protest

At the root of the problem is the union’s lack of legitimate, democratically elected leadership. He said there are no elected officials from the branch level to the national executive. Instead, selected leaders occupy positions for personal gain rather than service.

He said that at the national level, leaders cannot effectively control or support state branches because they lack the moral authority that comes from proper elections. The result is fragmentation, weak bargaining power, and continued suffering for ordinary drivers who face arbitrary deductions, poor insurance, and unsafe working conditions every day.

The solution for AUATON

Aside from casting blames Comrade Ayoade Ibrahim also preferred solutions to reverse the current trend. For him, the AUATON must immediately organise its members and conduct transparent elections from the branch level all the way to the national executive. He said there’s a need to bring in genuine leaders instead of business-minded individuals or academics who have never spent a day behind the wheel but use the union merely to pad their résumés

“Only through free and fair polls can selfless, committed leaders emerge – men and women who have actually driven on these platforms, who understand the pain of fuel costs, algorithm changes, and platform penalties, and who are ready to fight without divided loyalties,”

He noted that well-meaning members of the union have repeatedly brought the message to the Ministry of Labour and Employment and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). However, little action has been taken. He therefore appealed to the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment and the leadership of the NLC to help facilitate and supervise elections to give AUATON the legitimate mandate it desperately needs.

He also urged the union to move beyond the old tactics of strikes and boycotts, noting that they have not delivered any meaningful, lasting results. He noted that it was time to think outside the box and deploy innovative advocacy, legal challenges, public awareness campaigns, strategic partnerships, and data-driven negotiations.

Finally, he urged the union members to support an ongoing ILO/ILC Conference in Switzerland which presents a historic opportunity to reshape the relationship between platform workers and app companies worldwide. He said Nigerian platform workers should work hand-in-hand with other workers across Africa and the globe.

He further urged the union to work towards lobbying the relevant government representatives and authorities to support its agenda through the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).

“Collective international pressure can achieve what domestic efforts alone have not,” he said.

He concluded by saying app-based transporters like Uber and Bolt drivers are the backbone of Nigeria’s modern mobility economy and AUATON has the potential to be their strongest voice.

“But potential means nothing without action. It is time for every member – from Lagos to Abuja, from Kano to Port Harcourt – to put our hearts together. Let us demand elections, reject conflicts of interest, and build a union that app companies cannot ignore. The future of hundreds of thousands of Nigerian drivers and delivery riders depends on it,” he finished.

The post AUATON is weak and divided that’s why Uber, Bolt, inDrive ignore them – union leader first appeared on Technext.