Telecomm Union Issues 14-Days Ultimatum to MTN to Lift Embargo on Membership

Ugo Aliogo

Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PTECSSAN) has issued a 14-days ultimatum to MTN Nigeria immediately lift the embargo it placed on some workers from membership of the Union by communicating to them (level three and above employees) that they are free to join the Union since membership, is in the first instance, voluntary.

The union in a statement jointly signed by the PTECSSAN President, Comrade Opeyemi Tomori and PTECSSAN General Secretary, Comrade, Okonu Abdullahi, called on the MTN Management to agree to a two-weeks physical meeting to round off the CBA negotiation and sign off the document, adding that the union would no longer be in any meeting without both the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Human Resources Officer in attendance.

The statement also noted that MTN Management should stop forthwith obnoxious policy that threatens membership of the Union.

The statement further explained that MTN should give full recognition to the union as the sole negotiating body for its members and for whoever among the employees to benefit from the negotiated items of the union must be ready to pay her membership dues.

The union in the statement remarked that if any of their demands are not met on or before February, 23, they shall be mobilizing in conjunction with other sister Unions affiliated to Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) workers within and outside the company for industrial actions that would force MTN management to grant their demands.

According to the statement, “As a responsible union, it is therefore incumbent on us to seek the protection and the interests of all workers in the Telecommunications sector, hence, PTECSSAN, is unwaveringly committed to ensuring that all necessary avenues are explored in a bid to propel management of MTN to treat its employees in a manner that is globally acceptable.

“This, we shall continue to do within the confines of the laws in order to improve the working conditions of our members no matter how daunting and insurmountable the task.

“We, therefore, seize this medium to intimate the stakeholders and general public in the business, that should MTN Nigeria management remains adamant to the demands of the union, on or before the expiration of this ultimatum, we shall cause industrial disharmony in MTN Nigeria, and there shall be disruption of MTN network services throughout the Nation.

“You may recall that sometimes in 2019, similar ultimatum was issued but for the timely intervention of the Honorable Minister of Labour and Productivity, the planned action did not take place. Just as it was in that year, the Company continues to remain adamant in listening to the cry and demand of her workers, who are members of our Union.

“As daunting as those issues raised back then were, it was the firm belief of our Union that the Collective Bargaining Agreement, if negotiated in good faith and signed off by both parties, would go a long way in addressing the concerns of the workers in the organization. Unfortunately, the company has remained adamant, insisting that all the workers’ conditions of service as stated in the company’s policy must remain so and cannot be negotiated. This negates the agreement they hitherto signed at the ministry of Labour to fully negotiate the workers’ condition of service.

“This reprehensible stand of the company attests to the fact that the company (MTN Nigeria) is averse to international Labour best practices as depicted in both International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions 87 (freedom of association and protection of the right to organize) and 98 (right to organize and collective bargaining). In other words, it is fair to conclude that MTN Nigeria by its body language, is averse to the existence of the Labour Union in her establishment. On one hand she claims she respects freedom of association and rights of her employees to belong to the Union, yet on the other hand refuses to negotiate Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Union.”