BY CHAMBERLAIN ODEY, JOS – The Nigeria Labour congress (NLC), on Wednesday picketed MTN Nigeria as part of a three-day warning action over what it described as “unhealthy industrial practices” which subject staff to poor work conditions and intolerable service environment.
Located along the Gold and Base Road, opposite the Air Force base, Jos, the MTN most technical and strategic call centre in the country remained without its workers today as the well mobilized workers’ force of the state NLC arrived the gate of the organisation as early as 6:00am and besiege
the entrance and stationed its instruments of occupation which included a public address system and high intensity music playing equipment.
Addressing journalists at the scene of the picketing, state chairman of the NLC, Comrade Jibrin Banchir, said the action became inevitable after series of engagements, negotiations, and agreements which the MTN has consistently refused to respect or
work with
“We cannot continue to sit and watch as Nigerians are subjected to the most intolerable work conditions. What is going on here at the MTN as work conditions simply translate to new form of slavery. We cannot condone this anymore. That’s why we are here”, Banchir said.
The NLC revealed that what the MTN practices in Nigeria is not in conformity with the norms, practices, and labour laws in the country, adding that the worst of it all is that of all the countries where the MTN operates, it is only in Nigeria that it adopts these
exploitative polices that tend to make the workers look like slaves in their own country.
He further said; “As a democratic country, we cannot accept that this terrible practice should continue. We have our laws that regulate the industrial environment her. We totally reject this exploitative culture and inhuman policies of the MTN. We cannot be slaves in our own country.
“Even if the MTN wants to leave because of this, they are free to go. It will bring a lot of opportunities to our indigenous operators. We cannot continue to have a case of monkey works, baboon chops”, Banchir stressed.
Insisting that the organised labour in the country is against the policy of staff casualization and other shoddy industrial practices that take more man hours from the workers without commensurate pay and other cushioning effects, the MTN is being accused of adopting the most abysmal and repugnant labour relations practices in Nigeria.
The NLC said after the three-day picketing fiesta on the organisation, it will return after three weeks, in the event of no adjustments from the MTN, for a total shut down.
