Bimbola Oyesola
Nigeria’s Organised Labour, yesterday issued a two -week ultimatum to the management of telecommunication giant, MTN to correct several anti -labour practices allegation leveled against it or face damned industrial action.
The workers under the aeges Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PTECSSAN), an affiliate of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had among other things accused MTN of discrimination against Nigerians as well as flagrant disregard to workers rights as enshrined in the International Labour OrganiSation (ILO) Conventions.
The General Secretary of PTECSSAN, Okonu Abdullahi, at a media briefing in Lagos on Tuesday warned that the unfortunate events in MTN Nigeria if not quickly addressed portend grave danger to the industrial relations environment in the firm.
The union warned that if its demands are not fully and appropriately complied with by MTN Nigeria over the next 14 days would compel the workers to withdraw every guarantee of industrial peace within MTN Nigeria. It warned that workers services may be disrupted across the nation throughout the network from the midnight of August 24, 2020.
The General Secretary noted that the Chief Executive Officer of the Company whose priority should be organisational growth and sustainability which ought to make workers’ welfare, concerns and grievances paramount has abandoned this vital responsibility.
“He has rebuffed several calls by the workers and their union representatives to meet with him on critical issues facing them in the company,” he said.
He said there are unwholesome, insensitive and discriminatory structure in the emoluments of some categories of workers and non-payment of severance benefits at the point of departure of employees after long years of dedicated and uninterrupted services to the company.
Meanwhile, in its reaction to the Labour allegations, MTN’s Chief Corporate Services Officer, Tobechukwu Okigbo, stated that the allegations are totally unsubstantiated and without any merit whatsoever. According to him, over the years, MTN has built a ‘people first’ culture that empowers its employees, values inclusivity and hard work and instils a responsibility for its customers and communities. He said, “This is what defines and unites us. MTN cares greatly about all its workers, deploying global best practice people solutions and policies that make MTN Nigeria a great place to work.