"Uber and Bolt drivers in Lagos begin strike action today to protest “systemic slavery” 19 April 2021

Under the umbrella of the Professional E-hailing Drivers and Partners Association (PEDPA), Uber and Bolt drivers in Lagos have begun a strike action today. The two companies...have competed for years since their entrance into the Nigerian market...

One of the ways they have competed is with pricing, with each operator giving promos and lowering fares...Yet...there have been claims that the pricing wars came at the expense of drivers. 

Now Uber and Bolt drivers in Nigeria want the pricing to be reviewed because the prices are no longer reflective of the costs they put in. They also want both companies to reduce the commission charged on rides from 25% to 10%.

...the drivers will begin a one-week warning strike today with hopes that both companies will come to the table.

... Idris Shonuga, the National President of PEDPA...told TechCabal, “...We bear the running costs of fuelling the car and take all the associated risk of managing and running our vehicles.”

“Unfortunately, they fail to give us a say, they keep fixing the price ridiculously low and we’re selling below the cost price.”...

“You’re seeing several accidents on Lagos roads because drivers are overworking themselves to make very little money; this is systemic slavery of Nigerian youth, many of who are driving because of unemployment.”

...TechCabal...received a response from [Bolt's] Country Manager, Femi Akin-Laguda.

He said...“we are constantly evaluating our operations to ensure we continue to provide the best earnings for drivers on the platform...

...our commitment remains to treat drivers on the platform with respect, keeping an open-door policy for feedback to be provided. Also, we have various communication and support channels that are always available for drivers on the platform to reach us at any time...for any issue that may affect their operations.”

A spokesperson for Uber also told TechCabal via email, “We are aware of a protest taking place today by a small group of e-hailing drivers, resulting in slightly longer waiting times for riders. We respect driver-partners as valuable partners with a voice and a choice and we want them to know that we are always open to their feedback.”

“It’s however important to note that driver-partners are diverse in how they use the Uber app and it would be difficult for an individual or group to holistically represent every driver on the app. “

...another important demand PEDPA has is for drivers who have been blocked by both platforms to be unblocked. 

“You’re expected to provide 5-star service on every trip and even if you have over 1000 trips with 5-star ratings, if you get reported for anything at all, you get blocked from the platform.” 

Shonuga believes that this approach is unfair and that while bad actors should be punished, the companies should take a nuanced approach in dealing with these issues...