WESTERN CAPE E-HAILING ASSOCIATION
drive the idea
Welcome
The WESTERN CAPE EHAILING ASSOCIATION, (WCEA) recognizes the continued precarious socio-economic position of all operators in the E-HAILING Sector, especially DRIVERS who are subjected to gross exploitation by TRANS-NATIONAL App Companies.
Further recognizing our diverse social, cultural, religious, and national (ethnic) make up/ composition as operators in the E-HAILING sector and the urgent need to build a coherent, united, democratically controlled, and independent organizational vehicle to advance the interest of operators in the industry.
Therefore, we commit ourselves to tirelessly build the Association in an effort to eradicate all forms of exploitation and discrimination against our members and workers in general.
Mission Statement
- To create structures and infrastructures to serve the best interest of its members.
- To serve as a unified body for all of its members within the Western Cape Province.
- To use these structures to defend and represent members in/on various governmental institutions.
- To ensure a culture of democratic decision-making and accountability through active membership participation at all levels of the Association.
- To actively use all resources at our disposal to advocate and campaign for a safe and conducive work environment.
- To provide the best and most competitive benefits (eg. insurance, loan schemes, funeral and other discounted benefits) for members.
- To create an organisational culture and structures free of racism, tribalism, sexism, gender, disability and class discrimination.
- To promote unity among operators in the e-hailing sector and the working class irrespective of party political or religious affiliations.
- To do such lawful things as may appear to be in the interests of the Association and/or its members and which are not inconsistent with our mission or any matter specifically provided for in this constitution.
- To promote e-hailing services that enable the growth and expansion of its use and commuter base.
Vision Statement
- To become the most representative, most progressive and benefits driven organisation for operators in the E-HAILING sector in the WESTERN CAPE.
PARTNERSHIPS
WCEA, have successfully forged and build working relations / alliances with the following organizations:
- All the various E-hailing Associations nationally (GES, EPCO, ECEA, NWEA, KZN E-Council, ENCSA, Free State E-hailing Ass and Limpopo E-hailing Ass.
- International Alliance of APP Based Transport Workers (IAATW)
- ADCU - London, New York Taxi Alliance and various other similar grassroots organizations in Africa through the African Platform Workers Representatives (APWR)
- COSATU
- SAFTU
ADVISORY, RESEARCH & SUPPORT
- Faculty of Law | Centre for Transformation Regulation of Work (CENTROW) University of Western Cape
- Solidarity Centre
- Fairwork - University of Oxford
- Provincial Regulatory Entity (PRE)
- Western Cape Mobility Department (WCG)
- City of Cape Town
We have established a relatively balanced working relationship with these important institutions and various authorities in the Western Cape Province. In addition, we now also serve on the Intermodal Planning Committee (IPC) – a joint initiative managed by the City of Cape Town and the Department of Mobility: WC
ACHIEVEMENTS
- Established communication channels and mechanisms with all MAJOR APP COMPANIES to address the concerns of e-hailing operators/drivers on an on-going basis.
- Successfully campaigned and participated in the processes leading to the amendments to the National Land Transport Amendment Act that now recognizes E-hailing as a mode of transport.
- Managed to have a number of DRIVERS who were blocked on BOLT Platform reinstated.
- Successfully campaigned and lobbied for the lifting of the moratorium on OPERATING LICENSES. We would not have been able to achieve this without the help of our ROLE PLAYERS.
- Through our interventions, managed in assisting to have the conditions of sealed meter installations scrapped as a condition for the upliftment of permits.
- Successfully supported the TAXI STAY AWAY of August 2023 and through this intervention, we managed to prevent / reduce adverse unintended consequences on our DRIVERS.
WHAT ARE THE IMMEDIATE CONCERNS OF OUR MEMBERS
Unfair and unregulated competition amongst APP COMPANIES, with the one undercutting the other resulting into low earnings for DRIVERS.
Unsafe, conditions and violent attacks on e-hailing operators. Our members and e-hailing operators in general are constantly facing high jacking, robberies, and even fatal attacks by criminal elements.
Continued targeting and harassment of our e-hailing operators by law enforcement officials through impoundments of their vehicles. Operators are also being harassed by criminal elements operating in the mini-bus sector and are subjected to extortion on a daily basis.
In addition, the slow pace by government in regulating the E-hailing sector in a meaningful way is further worsening the existing challenges in the industry.
HOW DO WE SEE THE WAY FORWARD
- Continue to campaign and fight for improvements in the conditions of work and for social protection not only for our members, but all for platform workers.
- Partner with other relevant stakeholders to deliver cost-effective benefits to our members.
- Develop our own capacity to help bring about legislative and policy changes that will benefit the marginalized and the industry in general.
- Respecting the rights of grassroots organizations seeking to advance the interest of driver/operators to organize themselves independently.
- Advocate for co-existence in a collaborative way that seeks to accelerate transformation and sustainability of the industry.
- Building a unity of purpose by respecting the rights of others to exist and collaborate on common issues to advance our shared values and interest.
- Health and Safety
- Professionalizing the industry
- Job creation and financial wellness
BACKGROUND TO THE FORMATION OF WCEA
The Western Cape E-hailing Association, was officially inaugurated on 22 August 2022, and was born out of many struggles waged by E-hailing drivers/operators against the major Tech/App Companies (Uber, Bolt and InDriver). These struggles were not easy as it required many sacrifices to be made on the path of operators against the very hostile Tech/App companies. Driver/operators soon realized that they need to join forces and unite in action to be more effective.
Demands focussed on: improving driver earnings, an end to the high commissions taken by the App companies, an end to unilateral deactivations (dismissals) from the platforms and improved safety measures to protect drivers and riders.
The association was then formed as a result of a unity of purpose forged between essentially two E-hailing formations, viz Cape Town E-hailing Association and Cape Town Drivers Association, one representing locals and one representing foreign nationals into one formation who adopted the name WCEA.
OUR ORIENTATION
WCEA recognizes the critical role that small businesses, such as local fleet owners and self-employed e-hailing operators/ drivers continue to play in providing a cost-effective and reliable, alternative mode of transport to our working masses and the many guests who come to visit our beautiful country. This, no doubt is an important contribution to our economy.
As we continue to struggle against all odds to transform our industry for the benefit of all, we equally acknowledge the important contribution and role of other main stream businesses and stakeholders in our industry.
Our common purpose to work for change in our industry must therefore be guided by MUTUAL RESPECT for one another’s independence, autonomy and right to freedom of association. In advancing our rights, in particular that of our drivers/operators and the industry in general, we remain unapologetic in exercising our right to engage in peaceful protest action to apply pressure to bring about qualitative change and to raise public awareness.
WCEA prefers a collaborative approach on areas of common/mutual concern by sharing ideas, engaging in robust social dialogue and engaging in concrete struggles on the ground. In that way, pave a path forward towards meaningful transformation of our industry.
It is necessary to highlight that whilst we have moved beyond the point of demonstrations and protest action, MASS ACTION remains the only language the authorities and those in power understand. However, as we continue to exercise our constitutional right to engage in peaceful protest action, we also recognize that we have entered a new terrain/ path of our struggle to effectively transform our industry to serve the needs of our people and to help rebuild our economy. WCEA therefore understands the need to find balance between our shared values and our different interest/aspirations. This, reality, fraud with many contradictions is not an easy path for all of us to navigate.
NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY
WCEA recognises that the profit making system operates without any boundaries, knowns no colour nor religion and operates with impunity on an international level to extract maximum value from our labour. Our struggles therefore are connected to the struggles of workers all over the world. We see national, regional and international solidarity and cooperation with (platform) workers elsewhere as an important dimension to our common struggles. It is for this reason that we seek to build and strengthen national, regional and international solidarity through joint campaigns, research and education and training to build our capacity in order to advance our collective interest. WCEA has therefore established working relations and build alliances with similar grassroots organizations in other provinces of the RSA, Africa and others parts of the world.
The association is an active participant in the African Platform Workers Representatives – under the facilitation of Fairwork – Oxford and has also been admitted as an affiliate to the International Alliance of App-based Transport Workers (IAATW) who has a presence in 25 countries internationally.
We are also part of the newly formed National E-hailing Federation of SA (NEFSA) bringing together grassroots associations from all 9 provinces in the RSA. We also regularly participate in leadership training and strategic planning workshops with Cosatu and Solidarity Centre to help strengthen the voice of platform workers.
WHAT IS YOUR CONTRIBUTION?
Your role, including that of other important role players becomes even more important in ensuring our mutual success. For this to be realized, we say we need to BUILD UNITY IN DIVERSITY through building UNITY IN ACTION.
We are registered as an NPC (Non Profit Company) and have also adopted a very strong constitution to ensure that the association is run in a transparent and democratic manner. We have a presence in a number of areas, including:
- Strand
- Stellenbosch
- Khayelitsha
- Cape Flats
- Northern Suburbs
- Southern Suburbs
ORGANISE OR STARVE: (What’s to be done?)
To the operators/drivers on the ground: Your contribution and participation in building the association as a strong and effective grassroots organization is of paramount importance. It is not only useful to share ideas and level criticism from outside of the association, but more importantly to add value by joining the association.
MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION AND JOIN NOW
LET YOUR VOICE BE COUNTED BY ADDING VALUE…. !!!
As a young organization, we have many organizational challenges which we are gradually addressing as we march forward. However, WCEA members and supporters remain committed and resolute in building the association as an effective grassroots organization owned and controlled by its members, and to continue contributing to the transformation of our industry and other unfolding processes of engagement in a positive way.
CONCLUSION
Our efforts in forging new PARTNERSHIPS and lasting working relationships should be informed by the needs of our MEMBERS on the ground, our common issues of concern and be guided by mutual respect and tolerance to build on our shared vision to transform the industry for the benefit of all. To achieve our strategic objectives in moving forward requires a unity of purpose as encapsulated in our FOUNDING SLOGAN – Building Unity in Diversity – Building Unity in Action…
Whilst we march separately, we can strike together…
Join the association that puts the interest of drivers/operators FIRST…
THE TEAM
-
Siyabonga Hlabisa
CHAIRPERSON
-
Phumlile Sopela
DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON
-
Omar Parker
GENERAL SECRETARY
-
Yusuf Moalim
1ST DEPUTY GENERAL SECRETARY
-
Peter Ngacha
2ND DEPUTY GENERAL SECRETARY
-
Sizwe Dlamini
DEPUTY TREASURER
-
Achmat Jones
TREASURER
-
Sammy Bala
RECRUITMENT & ORGANIZING
DOWNLOADABLE DOCUMENTS
Our Office
WESTERN CAPE E-HAILING ASSOCIATION (WCEA)
REGISTRATION NUMBER : 2022 / 733 285 / 08
-
O. Parker:
+27 (0) 84 448 7732 -
S. Hlabisa:
+27 (0) 61 377 9235 -
Y. Moalim:
+27 (0) 81 489 5951 -
P. Ngacha:
+27 (0) 72 144 6610 - info@wcea.org.za
-
120 Merriman Road, Goodwood,
Cape Town, 7459