FG registers informal sector trade union

The Federal Government presented a letter of approval for the registration of an informal sector trade union, the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transport Workers of Nigeria, on Tuesday. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, made this announcement during a ceremony held in his office. The new union will represent all app-based transport workers, including online transport services and e-hailing drivers and operators across Nigeria.

In his remarks before the presentation, Ngige described the registration of the new union as a significant milestone in labor administration, particularly within the trade union services segment. He emphasized that this development is part of a broader global effort to formalize the informal sector, which constitutes a substantial portion of the workforce worldwide. Ngige noted that the informal sector had previously been challenging to manage due to the absence of a clear structural framework to organize and differentiate its various sectors.

Ngige stated, “Hitherto, we gave recognition and certification to workers in the formal sector, including the private sector, such as banks, oil and gas, and insurance, as well as public sector workers in unions for pensioners, teachers, and recently, the two newly registered university-based unions: the Congress for University Academics and the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics.” He highlighted that the registration of the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transport Workers marks a new chapter in recognizing those in the informal sector who are self-employed and, in turn, employ others.

The promoters of the union applied for registration on April 27, 2021, aiming to represent self-employed individuals in the field of IT-based transportation services. Ngige explained that the decision to register the union was influenced by various factors, particularly the global initiative led by the International Labour Organization (ILO) to formalize the informal sector, which includes a significant portion of the working population characterized by independent, owner-operated workers.

He also mentioned the importance of adapting to the changing world of work, driven by technological advancements, as outlined in the ILO’s Centenary Declaration in 2019. This declaration emphasizes the necessity of ensuring that transformative changes in the workforce are human-centered. Given these considerations, Ngige’s ministry decided to register the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transport Workers to facilitate the organization of this emerging segment of the informal economy. He added that the registration of the union would not only create jobs but also enable the government to monitor the security aspects of transportation systems in Nigeria.