The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in KwaZulu-Natal held a significant engagement with E-Hailing workers on Sunday, 27 July 2025, as part of our ongoing efforts to extend the hand of solidarity to all workers, irrespective of the nature of their employment. This is in line with COSATU’s broader strategy to adapt to the ever-changing nature of work and reorganised production lines brought about by technological advancement and digital platforms.

E-Hailing and platform-based work represent one of the fastest-growing sectors globally, with more than 150 million workers relying on these platforms for a livelihood. Yet, these workers remain some of the most vulnerable and unprotected in the labour market. They often work in isolation, with no formal mechanisms to express their challenges or collectively bargain for improved conditions.

The workers we met expressed deep appreciation for COSATU’s bold and principled step to recognise them as part of the broader working class whose struggles must not be ignored. They voiced a range of critical concerns, particularly regarding the conduct of companies like Uber. The key challenges include:

Permit and Regulatory Issues: Workers are burdened with unclear and often duplicative requirements, such as the “double disc” system, which complicates compliance and increases operational costs.

Unfair Pricing and Revenue Exploitation: Uber continues to raise its commission share, now reported between 45% and 50%, while simultaneously reducing ride prices due to competition. This squeeze leaves E-Hailing drivers earning less and facing growing financial hardship. Many are losing their vehicles through repossession and suffering from stress and depression.

Health and Safety Concerns: Drivers operate in dangerous conditions, facing the constant risk of hijackings, theft, and in some cases, fatal attacks. The lack of a safety net or formal workplace protections leaves them exposed and unsupported.

COSATU affirms its commitment to building working-class unity across all sectors, including platform-based work. We will be working with E-Hailing drivers to develop a Joint Programme of Action to respond to their daily struggles and to mobilise for long-term legislative and policy change.

Importantly, we have agreed on the urgent need to participate in ongoing International Labour Organization (ILO) processes aimed at crafting a global Convention to protect the rights of platform workers. COSATU will ensure that the voices of South African E-Hailing workers are heard in those deliberations.

We call on the South African government and relevant authorities to work alongside us to urgently address these systemic injustices faced by E-Hailing workers. This includes reforming outdated regulations, enforcing safety measures, and holding digital labour platforms accountable.

Finally, we call on all E-Hailing and platform workers to unite and organise under the banner of the trade union movement. The time has come to transform isolation into solidarity, and exploitation into empowerment.

Issued by COSATU KwaZulu Natal