Workers in the nation’s telecommunications industry today Monday begin an indefinite nationwide strike to protest unwarranted sacking of personnel and poor working conditions among others.
Phone workers embarking on strike under the aegis of the Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association (PTECSSAN), are: Field maintenance engineers, transmission engineers, customer service engineers, fibre engineers, and other critical staff.
PTECSSAN says it has unresolved issues with no fewer than 39 telecoms servicing companies including the sack of three of its members by Specific Tools & Technology Limited.
The association had earlier given a seven-day strike notice to the affected companies to address its demands or risk indefinite strike.
According to PTECSSAN, demands include immediate recognition of the fundamental rights of the employees to freely associate with the group, immediate recognition of the union as negotiating body for the employees on workers welfare and immediate remittance of membership dues into the union’s account as earlier provided.
The demands equally are immediate recognition of the years of service of these workers, immediate commencement of appropriate pensions deduction and remittance of same as required by the Pension Act, immediate approval of the National Health Insurance Scheme that covers the employees, their spouses and four of their dependents, immediate enrolment of Union members in the Group Life Insurance as stipulated in the Pension Reform Act 2004, Section 9(3).
The Union is also demanding immediate implementation of leave and leave allowance in accordance with the international best practices, immediate negotiation on review of salaries of the workers to meet the economic reality in the country today, and immediate provision Operational Vehicles or in the alternative immediate negotiation on review of the Self Drive/Self Rental to meet the economic reality in the country today.
Also in the Union’s demands are immediate stoppage of 24-hour job and introduction of work hours in accordance to the international best practices, immediate stoppage of work overload (combining passive tasks to theirs) on the workers, and immediate adherence to occupational health and safety for the workers in line with international best practices.
Announcing the commencement of strike, General Secretary of PTECSSAN Abdullahi Okonu said “We have made every effort to engage with employers, but our legitimate demands have been disregarded.
“This strike is a last resort to protect our members’ rights and well-being. We urge the public to understand our position and support our struggle for fair treatment.”
