Telecom workers mobilises for strike over precarious work condition

Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PTECSSAN) has mobilised members to embark on three-day warning strike over alleged precarious work conditions and disregard for nation’s laws by their employers.

The three-day warning strike, the union said, would begin on Tuesday, June 16 by 12 midnight.

The union in a statement, said the decision was reached at an emergency National Administrative Council (NAC) meeting and further sanctioned by the National Executive Council (NEC) of the union in line with the directives of both the NAC and the NEC.

President, PTECSSAN, Opeyemi Tomori and General Secretary, Okonu Abdullahi, said the strike had become inevitable due to growing precarious working conditions in the sector and gross disregard for nation’s laws and institutions by employers.

They said if their demands are not met before Monday June 15, 2021, the union would go ahead with the three-day warning industrial action.

They alleged that workers in the sector were being treated like slaves despite efforts made in the past to draw the attention of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy and the House Committee on Communications all to no avail.

The union listed precarious work environment in majority of the technology firms, and non-confirmation of appointment of workers who have worked for years as some of its grievances against employers in the sector.

PTECSSAN also alleged poor and discriminatory remuneration; abuse of expatriate quota; intimidation, harassment and verbal assaults of employees; breach of freedom of association and right of workers to organise; employers going against International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention on leave days and allowance; field engineers being subjected to 24-hours work without rest and disregard for occupational health and safety of employees.

They urged workers in the sector to co-operate as they begin the move towards sanitising the sector, assuring that it would no longer be business as usual.

“To Nigerians, we would like to let them know that we regret the unfortunate consequences that our impending but inevitable action will cause them. We plead for understanding and urge them to bear with us,” the statement said.