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ORGANISING INFORMAL TRANSPORT WORKERS The ORGANISING INFORMAL TRANSPORT WORKERS The Informal Economy and the Unionisation of Motorcycle Taxi Drivers in Benin Researcher: Moussa Gibigaye, Researcher (LARES) ITF global research project: Organising informal transport workers This country case study forms part of a global re - For the case studies, the ITF identified three affiliated search project on organising informal transport work - unions. The unions selected are from countries where ers. In 2005, this project was initiated by the ITF informal jobs outnumber those in the formal econ - Education Department in cooperation with the ITF omy, in Asia and Africa. We appointed research organi- Road Transport Section. The overall objective of the sations from those countries to conduct the research. project was to provide transport workers’ unions or - A research co-ordinator based in South Africa was ganising, or wishing to organise, informal transport appointed to produce the overview. workers with a comprehensive guide and reference. The research aims were to: document, analyse and synthesise the organising experiences, strategies and methods of unions or - ganising informal transport workers through three detailed country case studies; identify the forms and extent of informal transport work; including identifying informal women transport workers; summarise issues concerning organising in the in - formal economy and their relevance to transport unions; formulate proposals for consideration by ITF pol - icy-making structures; provide materials for use in planning education programmes on organising in the informal econ - omy. The research had two interlinked components: three detailed country case studies from Benin, Zambia and the Philippines of unions organising in - formal transport workers, including relevant con - textual information; an overview of organising informal transport workers containing: information on informal trans - port work and men and women workers; organis - ing challenges and strategies; synthesis of the case The ITF would like to thank the following affiliates and studies and recommendations for consideration by research organisations for participating in the project: ITF policy-making structures. National Transport Workers’ Union (Philippines); Na - tional Union of Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Zambia); Syndicat National des Zemijan du Benin; LEARN (Philippines); WEA Zambia, LARES (Benin). The ITF would also like to thank research coordinator Chris Bonner in South Africa, and the FNV Mondiaal for financing the project CONTENTS Abbreviations 6 List of tables 6 List of figures 6 Introduction 7 Context 7 Objectives 7 Methodology 7 Overall approach 7 Literature review 8 The sample 8 Discussions and interviews with actors in the informal transport sector 8 Employment in Benin 9 Administrative organisation 9 Recent economic development 11 Characteristics of the informal sector in Benin 11 Transport in Benin 14 Current situation 13 Employment in the transport sector 13 Air transport 14 Maritime and river transport 14 Railways 15 Road transport 16 Commercial Use of Motorcycles: The Institutional and Regulatory Framework 18 General framework of the law in the informal sector 17 Measures to protect workers in the informal sector 17 Other regulations affecting workers in the informal transport sector 18 Government regulations 18 Municipal regulations 19 Motorcycle Taxi Driver Trade Unions in the Informal Sector 20 The trade union environment in the informal sector 20 Motorcycle taxi driver unions 22 The problems faced by motorcycle taxi drivers 22 The job of Zemijan as a springboard 20 The profession of Zemijan as a recurrent theme of government concern 23 Role of the motorcycle taxi driver unions 23 The unions contribute to the rehabilitation of politics 23 The unions protect fundamental freedoms 23 The acquisition of offices 23 Case Study - SYNAZEB 24 Introduction. Why Synazeb? 24 CONTENTS General study of Synazeb rules 24 Membership and recruitment 24 Membership 24 Retention and recruitment of members 25 Administrative and financial organisation 25 Trade union rules 25 Democracy in the unions 25 General Assembly 25 The boundaries of unions 26 Description and operation of Synazeb's members 26 Characteristics of members 26 Living and working condiitons of Synazeb members 27 Waged drivers 27 Owner drivers 27 Problems faced by unionised workers and Synazeb’s solutions 28 Main developments and progress of the informal sector 28 Main challenges facing Synazeb 28 Synazeb’s vision 29 Synazeb's strategies and activities 29 Strategies for struggle and affiliations 29 Internal activities of Synazeb 29 External activities of Synazeb 32 The major problems and obstacles faced by Synazeb 33 Main changes required by Synazeb and its members 33 Improvements in the institutional framework 34 Improvement in the regulatory framework 34 Improving driver safety 34 Support for the creation and/or building of Synazeb capacitie 34 Conclusion 35 Annexes 36 5 ABBREVIATIONS CFPA: Centre de Formation Professionnelle d’Abomey / Aborney Professional Training Centre CNSR: Centre National de Sécurité Routière / National Road Safety Centre ECHOPPE: Echange pour l’Organisation et la Promotion de Petit Entrepreneurs / Exchange for the Organ - isation and Advancement of Small Entrepreneurs FECECAM: Fédération des Caisses d’Epargne et de Crédit Agricole Mutuel / Federation of Mutual Agricul - tural Credit and Savings Schemes FENAB : Fédération Nationale des Artisans du Benin / Benin National Federation of Artisans FODEFCA: Fonds de Développement de la Formation Professionnelle Continue et de l'Apprentissage / Continuous Professional Training and Apprenticeship Development Fund GDP: Gross Domestic Product GMTB: Groupement des Motocyclistes Taximen du Benin / Benin Motorcycle Taxis Group IFCOD: Institut de Formation et de Coopération Décentralisée / Institute of Decentralised Training and Cooperation INSAE: Institut National de la Statistique et de l’Analyse Economique / Institute of National Statistics and Economic Analysis ILO: International Labour Office ITF: International Transport Worker’s Federation LARES: Laboratoire d’Analyse Régionale et d’Expertise Sociale / Regional Analysis and Social Expertise Laboratory NGO: Non-Governmental Organisation OBSS: Office Beninois de Sécurité Sociale / Benin Social Security Office OHADA: Organisation pour l’Harmonisation du Droit des Affaires / Organisation for the Harmonisation of Business Law PADME: Programme d’Appui au Développement de la Micro entreprise / Programme of Support for the Development of Micro Enterprises PAPME: Programme d’Appui aux Petites et Moyennes Enterprises / Programme of Support for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises RGPH: Recensement Général de la Population et de l’Habitat / General Population and Housing Census SAP: Structural Adjustment Programme SME: Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises SMI: Small and Medium-Sized Industries SYNAZEB: Syndicat National des Zemijan du Benin / National Union of Zemijan of Benin WAEMU: West African Economic and Monetary Union List of tables Table 1: Economically active population by formal/informal sector and gender 12 Table 2: Economically active population by industry (not including agriculture) 12 Table 3: Employment in Cotonou port 15 Table 4: Main organisations in the informal economy 21 Table 5: Geographical distribution of motorcyle taxi driver unions 22 Table 6: Distribution of zemijan by age group 26 Table 7: Distribution of zemijan by marital status 26 Table 8: Distribution of zemijan by level of education 27 List of figures Figure 1: Map of Benin 9 6 INTRODUCTION: Context, Objectives and Methodology Context This part of the transport sector is an important The acceleration of urbanisation has attracted hun - component of the informal sector, both in terms of dreds of millions of migrants to African cities, in search the number of jobs it generates, and its social and of a better life. They are surplus labour, mainly migrat - economic role. However, despite the many studies ing from rural to urban areas, and unable to find em - that have been conducted on this sector, not much is ployment in modern economic activities. They swell yet known of the way it operates and its real social the ranks of the thousands of unemployed who al - and economic implications. ready live in precarious circumstances. The poor per - formance of the economies of these countries does Objectives not create enough jobs to absorb the continuously in - This study aims to collect information directly from af - creasing number of those seeking work, including filiates that actively represent workers in the informal those without qualifications. In a context characterised economy. The ITF hopes, in this way, to learn more by the almost total absence of unemployment benefit, about their experiences and be able to share them the unemployed develop survival strategies, and this is with other affiliates. the driving force behind the proliferation of informal economic activities. This phenomenon takes different Methodology forms in different countries and the solutions found vary from one country to another. Overall approach Assessment of the situation of the informal transport Demographic trends in developing countries indicate sector and the efforts made by all the involved actors rapid growth of the population and an increase in the to improve the operation and outputs for the various rate of urbanisation. This demographic and urban parties concerned, required an appropriate research boom, coupled
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