It has been established that the majority of drivers in Ethiopia lack formal and legal employment contracts, leaving them vulnerable to severe social and economic crises upon reaching old age and losing their working capacity.
Consequently, while the law stipulates that drivers should receive a pension once they age and lose the capacity to work, this provision has remained unimplemented due to the absence of formal employment contracts.
This gap has left drivers unable to support their families or educate their children, plunging them into extreme poverty and hardship.
However, it was reported today that a memorandum of understanding has been signed to permanently address the rights violations and lack of legal employment contracts that have persisted for years within Ethiopia's commercial transport sector.
It was stated that this agreement lays a foundational groundwork that fully protects drivers' employment contracts and social security rights within the sector.
The memorandum of understanding was jointly unveiled by the Ethiopian Transport Employers Federation and the Transport and Communications Workers Unions Industry Federation.
They announced that the agreement aims to tackle the lack of legal employment contracts affecting public transport and cross-border heavy vehicle drivers at all levels.
Abatahun Takele, President of the Ethiopian Transport and Communications Workers Unions Industry Federation, stressed that any driver working on a commercial vehicle must have a legal employment contract, as reported by Sheger Radio.
Noting that both owners and drivers are equally victimized by this lack of contracts, Abathun stated that employers and workers have been properly organized within their respective sectors to resolve the issue.
For his part, Birhane Zeru, President of the Ethiopian Transport Employers Federation, stated that they are working in coordination to establish a clear and fair system between employers and workers.
Explaining that the establishment of this system not only ensures livelihood security for drivers but also plays a significant role in creating industrial peace and stable operations for vehicle owners, Birhane added that efforts are underway to involve other stakeholders in the process to guarantee the sustainability of this social security matter.
Kasahun Follo, President of the Confederation of Ethiopian Trade Unions (CETU), noted that the transport and communications sector makes a substantial contribution to the country's economic growth.
In his remarks, Kasahun emphasized that the rights and benefits of both employers and workers in the sector are inseparable and mutually reinforcing.
Overall, high hopes are pinned on this agreement between the two federations to open a major chapter in permanently resolving the workforce instability, safety concerns, and rights violations that have plagued the sector for years.
