In the face of harsh economic realities in Nigeria today, most organisations are struggling to stay afloat, However, two rival labour unions may have disrupted the operations of ZTE Nigeria Limited, an arm of one of the largest information and communication technology (ICT) organisations in the world, by laying claim to its check-off dues.
ZTE is the third largest smartphone manufacturer in the United States, which manufactures mobile phones and broadband devices for many wireless carriers, including AT&T, Boost Mobile, Cricket Wireless, MetroPCS, Sprint, T-Mobile, TracFone, Verizon and Virgin Mobile. It has decried the negative effects of the labour dispute on its operations.
ZTE’s country human resources manager, Gao Brielle, explained that the disruption of the company’s operations occasioned by recent picketing embarked upon by Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PTECSSAN), under the Joe Ajaero-led United Labour Congress (ULC) was embarrassing, stressing that PTECSSAN did not follow due process as there was no warning whatsoever to the company.
The unions, the National Union of Postal and Telecommunications Employees (NUPTE) and PTECSSAN, have pledged allegiance to Aliyu Wabba and Joe Ajaero, factional leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), respectively.
According to her, ZTE Nigeria has been operating since 2002 as the biggest CDMA handset provider to operators since 2007 and other network terminal devices. It has been remitting appropriate labour dues to NUPTE because local staff of the company belonged to the union. She noted that for ZTE Nigeria to embrace the change being sought by PTECSAN, due process must be followed.
Debunking claims that the local staff had notified NUPTE of their intention to switch, Gao said, “The management contacted NUPTE immediately it received the mail regarding the changes, but we were told that they (NUPTE) are not aware of anyone leaving their union. The law is very clear on the matter. Every individual member has to write to the union and copy the management if anyone desires to opt out of the union.”
In a response to a PTECSSAN mail on the issue, Gao said, “The management, as required by law and practice, sought the comments of NUPTE towards the request of the staff of ZTE Nigeria Ltd. This request was made to NUPTE to avoid double payment that may result from NUPTE and they wrote to inform us that no such information has been given to them by any of the staff of ZTE Nigeria Ltd. They further insisted that remission of dues should be made to NUPTE.”
She noted that the company does not intend to infringe on the workers’ freedom of association and ZTE would take steps to protect the rights of others who may be forced to belong where they do not want to belong.”
Corroborating her views, head of department, admin/finance, NUPTE, Mary Nwosu, in a letter to ZTE on February 28, 2017, noted that “the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment is in a better position to address this issue since it has taken a dimension of your organisation receiving threats from an association on labour related-issues.”
According to her, the action of PTECSSAN was questionable because “for any association to request members of a registered industrial union to migrate to theirs is direct poaching, which is unacceptable in the labour movement in Nigeria.”
However, PTECSSAN, while justifying the picketing, said it was done to register its displeasure over the way the ZTE was treating the issue of workers’ migration. Its general secretary, Okonu Abdullahi, had accused ZTE of victimising workers and attempting to deny them their rights.
“It has become glaring to us that your management is not only uncomfortable with your workers’ membership of our union but also you have resolved to ensure that you deny them their rights to freedom of association as enshrined in Section 40 of Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said in a letter dated February 22, 2017.

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