Uber’s exit: What ILO Convention 193 says for platform economy

Uber’s exit from Nigeria has renewed attention on the rights and welfare of ride-hailing drivers, with the recently adopted International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention No. 193 setting out new global standards for decent work in the platform economy.

Convention No. 193 (C193) is the first binding global standard written for the platform economy, covering digital labour platforms and workers, whether they are called employees, partners or independent contractors.

Adopted in June 2026, C193 comes at a critical time for Nigeria’s economy, where drivers face rising operating costs, questions over earnings and commissions, and limited protection against deactivation from digital platforms.

In a statement issued by the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON) following Uber Technologies’ decision to wind down ride-hailing operations in Nigeria, the union said the exit goes beyond a business decision, highlighting the need for stronger labour protections for workers in the platform economy.

Read also: AUATON condemns Uber’s unprofessional exit, warns Bolt, inDrive over exploitative model

“Uber’s withdrawal is not only a market event. It is a labour-standards event that shows why ILO adopted Convention No. 193 concerning Decent Work in the Platform Economy on June 12, 2026, and why that Convention cannot remain a Geneva text while platforms enter, reshape and leave African cities on their own timetable,” Ayoade Ibrahim, co-founder & general secretary of AUATON, said.

It sets a floor on pay transparency and timely payment, occupational safety, social protection, freedom of association and collective bargaining, protection against unjustified deactivation, and scrutiny of the algorithms that assign trips, ratings and income.

“Those are exactly the issues Nigerian riders have raised through strikes, petitions and disputes over commissions, fuel costs and drive-to-own schemes.

“Uber can leave because the rules that governed its Nigerian operation were thinner than the market it created. For twelve years the platform organised work, set prices, took commission and decided who stayed online,” Ibrahim said.

He said the convention does not stop a company from exiting. It says that while the company is present and in the market it leaves behind, workers are not disposable code.

According to AUATON, Uber’s exit exposes several gaps that the convention seeks to address in the platform economy.

Read also: Uber launches robotaxis in London, day after Nigeria’s exit

The union called for greater transparency around earnings, commissions and deductions, noting that drivers bear major operating costs, including fuel, vehicle maintenance and financing, while platforms retain significant control over pricing and commissions.

On deactivation, AUATON said workers should have safeguards against arbitrary suspension or removal from platforms, with human oversight in decisions driven by algorithms that can determine access to work and income.

“Uber’s exit should prompt Nigeria to move beyond company-specific responses and establish broader labour standards for the platform economy. Convention No. 193 would only have practical effect if Nigeria ratifies and domesticates it with relevant government authorities incorporating its provisions into the regulation and licensing of digital transport platforms,” the Union stated.

AUATON called for immediate social dialogue involving displaced Uber drivers and those working across multiple platforms, as well as national standards on fares, commissions and deactivation procedures in line with the convention.

The union also urged the government to ensure that technological innovation in the transport sector does not come at the expense of workers’ rights and welfare, arguing that protections should remain in place regardless of whether a particular platform enters or exits the Nigerian market.

It said Uber’s departure provides a case study of why sector-wide labour protections are needed to safeguard platform workers who may transition to other ride-hailing services following the exit of a major operator.

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