Workers from 23 countries expected to attend the founding convention of the International Alliance of App-Based Transport Workers (IAATW) on 29-30 January

IAATW will bring together workers from international app-based transport services like Uber, Bolt, Grab and Lyft to discuss how they might work together to challenge a shared experience of exploitation, precarity and endangerment.

The conference will be hosted by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB).

28 January: Workers from 23 countries and six continents are to gather in the UK for the first meeting of the International Alliance of App-Based Transport Workers (IAATW). The meeting, which will be held on 29-30 January, will be the first time drivers from around the world come together to develop joint objectives and a global strategy to tackle the abuses of platform companies such as Uber, Bolt, Grab and Lyft.

In each country drivers face specific problems and challenges, but increasingly global issues are starting to become clear, with drivers around the world facing low pay, precarity, and dangerous working conditions. While some joint action took place last year, with workers organising strikes in multiple countries in the run-up to Uber's IPO, this meeting will build on those existing networks to develop more successful actions in future.

The conference will bring together drivers working on app-based transport platforms like Uber, Bolt, Grab, and Lyft. These platforms now operate across the world. Uber alone has as many as 4 million drivers and made over $11 billion in 2018. Globally, global hailing revenue for 2020 is estimated at over $200 billion.

Nicole Moore, representative of US driver organisation Rideshare Drivers United (RDU), says: “This is unprecedented. App-based transport workers are coming together from around the world because we are all subject to the same exploitation. Multinational corporations like Uber make billions from our labour and work to undermine labour rights for everyone, while we’re left struggling to survive on poverty pay. Global exploitation calls for a global resistance strategy and that is exactly the work we will begin at the conference.”

Elizabeth Frantz, director of the Open Society’s Fair Work initiative, said: “The rapid growth of platform companies has been built on a business model that excludes fair labor practices and perpetuates low pay. This week’s meeting allows labour activists in the gig economy from around the world to come together to exchange ideas, share lessons and discuss strategies for new forms of global collective action.”

The meeting was convened by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) and is supported by the Open Society Foundations. It was planned by an international committee of drivers, representing workers in India, South Africa, and the USA.

There are two aims for the convention:

To commence greater collaboration between app-based drivers organising internationally by launching an ongoing international network: the International Alliance of App-Based Transport Workers (IAATW). To produce a “Manifesto for App-based Transport Workers” which will be published after the convention.

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The following app-drivers unions have been invited to the conference:

From Argentina, Unión propietarios chóferes y afines por app e internet (UPCAPI)

From Australia, RDN

From Bangladesh, Dhaka Rideshare Drivers Association and the Bangladesh Ridesharing Drivers Association

From Brazil, Associação AMPA-RJ Associação do Rio de Janeiro, Association of Autonomous Private Drivers of Rio de Janeiro and Associação de Motoristas de Aplicativos de São Paulo (AMASP)

From Cambodia, the Informal Workers Association (IDEA)

From Canada, UFCW

From Chile, ACUA CHILE

From Costa Rica, Canacontec. Camara Nacional De Conductores Tecnologicos, Costarricense, Presidente de Acoplatec and Conductores de Plataformas Tecnologicas de Costa Rica

From France, the VTC Movement

From India, ITF, the Chennai App Drivers Association and Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers

From Indonesia, Asosiasi Driver Online (AD0), Federation of Indonesia Metalworkers Union (FSPMI) and Komunikasi Pengemudi Online (FKPO)

From Kenya, Digital Taxi Forum, Rideshare Sacco Society and the Digital Taxi Association of Kenya

From Malaysia, the Malaysia E-Hailing Drivers Association (MeHDA) and Grab Drivers Malaysia Association (GDMA)

From Nigeria, the National Union of Professional e-hailing Driver Partners (NUPEDP)

From Pakistan, the Center for Labour Research

From Panama, Union de trabajadores del transporte selectivo de plataformas y similares and UNTRATSEPSI

From South Africa, the Uber Drivers Guild, National Union of Public Service & Allied Workers (NUPSAW), TRIP Co-operative, The Movement and PPTA

From Uruguay, Asociación de Conductores Uruguayos de Aplicaciones - ACUA

From the UK, IWGB

From the USA, Taxi Workers Alliance, RSDU, GIG Worker Rising, Independent Drivers Guild, Gig Workers Matter, Chicago Rideshare Advocate, Philadelphia Limousine Association and Philadelphia Drivers Union

And representatives from drivers’ organisations in Belgium and Switzerland