The motor cycle taxi industry of Benin provides a rich example of the challenges for unions operating in informal transport, as Moussa Gibigaye reports

In recent decades many developing countries have been experiencing sharp population growths and an increase in the rate of urbanisation. This, coupled with the geographical expansion of urban areas, has increased the demand for motorised transport, as thousands of people must travel long distances from home to work and back every day.

In Benin, informal transport has prospered to meet the demand in a context of lax legislation, which allowed the import of second- hand motorcycles, low-cost fuel and spare parts from neighbouring Nigeria.

..."In general, drivers are unaware of the content of the contracts they sign with motorcycle owners because they don’t know how to read and write in French. The owners take advantage of this situation and sometimes make drivers work for longer than the period stipulated in the contract"...

Following economic crisis and an acceleration in unemployment in the 1980s, many qualified and unqualified workers turned for employment to this burgeoning, though harsh and poorly paid transport sector. Around 95 per cent of the economically active population of Benin now work in the informal sector, of which motorcycle taxiing forms an important component – both in terms of the number of jobs it generates, and its social and economic role.

Although there are now several unions organising motorcycle taxi, (known as zemijan) drivers, only 10 to 15 per cent of the drivers are members of trade unions, and their power remains weak and uncertain. However, these unions are able to put pressure on the government to resolve problems and improve living conditions. And some are playing important and multiple roles in advocating for their members.

Drivers’ profiles

Almost all zemijan drivers are male, most are illiterate, but some have had an education ranging from primary school to higher education.

Drivers may be unemployed graduates, people who have been made redundant, students and increasingly civil servants still in post. Mostly however they are peasants who have just arrived from rural areas, or artisans who have just finished their apprenticeship and do not have the resources to set up in business.

Few drivers intend to spend much time in the job and rather see it as a springboard to a “better life”. They are unlikely to get involved in an association or a union, and even when that happens, it poses problems.

More: Informal employment in Benin Air transport, Maritime and river transport, Railways, Road transport.

Since 1989, regulation of the zemijan profession has been a recurrent theme of the transport authorities. Yet paradoxically, nothing practical has been done to support motorcycle taxi driver unions.

This mode of transport is an important source of employment, the elimination of which would mean the loss of 100,000 jobs. However, the authorities give the impression of being willing to accept the status quo, while waiting for solutions to the social crisis that has hit Benin.

Waged drivers work for a vehicle owner, often a civil servant or a shopkeeper, who puts the vehicle at their disposal on a contractual basis for an average monthly wage of 30,000 F CFA (around US$60). Ownerdrivers work for themselves. They are more flexible in their organisation and hours of work. They generally take a day off on Sundays to maintain their vehicle.

However both categories of drivers experience problems such as lack of social welfare provisions, lack of rest, no holidays and irregular wages. They experience health problems caused by air pollution; frequent road accidents, with no insurance to cover them, and police harassment.

Protest action

The weapon most often used by unions such as the Synazeb drivers’ union is to take to the streets in a protest march – often, for example, after the arrest of a union member by the police or the murder of a union member by criminals. In these cases, the authorities may respond by seeking contact with union officers to resolve the problem.

Synazeb organised a protest march in Dassa Commune (about 200 km from Cotonou) in September 2005 after the murder of one of its members by criminals. Synazeb, with the support of other unions, including UNACOB, the powerful road hauliers’ union, felt strong enough to declare a general strike in this town.

Zem Comfort Project In partnership with the Christian Savings and Credit Cooperative (CCEC) and groups of motorcycle taxi drivers, Synazeb set up an association, called Zem Comfort. Its main aim is to improve the working conditions of zemijan and retrain them for other income generating activities. The project has two parts: Health: A monthly contribution of 2,500 F CFA (around US$5) gives motorcycle taxi drivers access to doctors and nurses who can ensure the health care needs of themselves and their wives and children at low cost. Micro finance: The idea is to constitute a guarantee fund that will allow zemijans to obtain financial support from development partners and donors. It is expected that this fund will be set up in the course of the next year. The following year will be dedicated to setting up projects for zemijan who want to change their job. Motorcycle taxi drivers commit themselves to daily contributions of a minimum of 100 F CFA or a weekly minimum of 500 F CFA. The zemijan fund will be deposited in a high street bank account under the control of the president of the council of administration of the association of zemijan drivers and the president of the CCEC. The bank will pay interest on these funds and issue a deposit certificate to each contributor after the fund has been established for one year. An interest payment will be made to certificate holders at the end of each financial year.

No taxi drivers, including motorcycle taxis, urban and inter-urban taxis worked that day. The major roads were blocked for two hours. The security forces were forced to negotiate with Synazeb, and a key demand was met – the creation of a motorcycle park for the use of union members.

This was a triumph for the union. It is not often the authorities make concessions, especially to motorcycle taxi drivers.

Activities of Synazeb drivers’ union

One of the union’s major achievements has been its operation of a mutual savings and credit scheme. The fund is currently 700 000 F CFA (around US$1500). Monthly contributions are 700 F CFA. The scheme operates like a solidarity fund, coming to the aid of members in difficulties, for example, to cover the costs of motorcycle repair, motorcycle purchase, purchase of school equipment, or support for income generating activities of women in small-scale agriculture and food production businesses.

Another practical commitment is the union’s witnessing and copying of contract signings between its members and motorcycle contracts. In general, drivers are unaware of the content of the contracts they sign with motorcycle owners because they don’t know how to read and write in French. The owners take advantage of this situation and sometimes make drivers work for longer than the period stipulated in the contract. The union has so far been present at the signing of 200 contracts to combat this form of bad practice.

Other activities include yearly HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted disease education meetings and events, and training and publicity on road safety. Solidarity forms the bedrock of the organisation and is shown by the practical assistance provided to members, especially with regard to death, illness, disputes and redeployment. The union also helps to negotiate the sale of motorcycles from private sources, including NGOs.

Women and income generation

In general, there are not many women motorcycle taxi drivers in Benin and even fewer union members. With a woman on the national executive, Synazeb is an exception to the rule. The union has 15 women members out of a total of 1000 members. Most of them own motorcycles and have their own small informal company.

The woman on the national executive is the union’s women’s officer and deals mainly with the training and organisation of women on gender issues. With the help of national NGOs, she recently organised training activities, in which five members of the union participated. She has also formulated training projects on accounting and income generating activities – which are awaiting funding.

Given the magnitude of the financial challenge facing the union, its leaders have sought alternative ways of boosting income. These include household waste collection, which is a headache for the municipal authorities, especially in Cotonou, where the generation of waste is especially high. In the light of this problem, Synazeb has formulated a proposal to collect waste for 1000 F CFA (US$2) per month, per household.

Synazeb has also set up a women’s cooperative for processing roots and tubers to produce manioc flour. This cooperative has been operating since December 2004 in Dassa.

Cooperation with police

The motorcycle taxi trade has to deal with the problems suffered by the informal transport sector in general. The biggest problems are theft, murder and road accidents, all of which may result in the disappearance of the vehicle.

Once the police have registered a complaint, they hand the case over to the union, with a view to the union coming to some kind of settlement between the driver and the vehicle owner. In the case of road accidents, the union may pay the driver a grant to help cover health care or vehicle repair costs, if the driver is up to date with his union dues.

Obstacles and challenges

Most major problems are financial, as the union’s only income comes from members’ contributions. Authorities will often refuse to negotiate with Synazeb, which suffers from a lack of basic trade union capacity. The union also has to contend with widespread ignorance of the laws covering the rights and duties of workers in the informal economy, and the lack of social security available to its members.

Synazeb is currently negotiating with a life insurance company to seek solutions to workers’ problems, and work towards meeting the desires of its members to one day enjoy the benefits of a social security system and retire. The union has proposed a daily contribution of 100 F CFA for 10 years in exchange for sickness and death benefits.

Synazeb cannot influence labour legislation in Benin on its own. It advocates joining with other unions, for example to pressure the government into providing an annual grant. This is already provided for unions in the formal sector, which benefit from grants equivalent to almost US$400,000.

The support institutions established by Synazeb, such as its finance and credit associations, are a good example of the “intermediary sector”. The union would like to see the institutions in this sector recognised by the authorities and obtaining legal recognition.

This is an edited extract of one of four union case study reports arising from a global ITF research project on organising in the informal economy.

Moussa Gibigaye works for the Laboratoire d’Analyse Régionale et d’Expertise Sociale (LARES) in Benin.