Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige has called for industrial harmony and understanding between telecommunication giant, MTN Nigeria and its workers under the aegis of Private Telecommunication and Communications Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PTECSSAN).
The minister said the telecom industry plays a major role in the socio-economic well-being of the country, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The management of the telecom company had filed a trade dispute against PTECSSAN, accusing the association of threatening industrial action against the organisation without recourse to the dispute resolution procedures as provided under the law.
MTN’s position
Chief Resources Officer of MTN Nigeria, Esther Akinnukawe, said the leadership of PTECSSAN had in a letter dated August 11, 2020 threatened to commence industrial action and disrupt MTN’s network, if within 14 days, from the date of its letter (effective midnight of August 24, 2020), MTN had failed to meet the association’s demands.
Also, President, PTECSSAN, Comrade Opeyemi Tomori, explained that the MTN management had repeatedly stone-walled the association, allowing a breakdown in communication between the parties, and had by its conduct pushed the PTECSSAN into issuing an ultimatum.
In a statement by the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Charles Akpan, at the end of a conciliatory meeting, PTECSSAN withdrew the 14-day ultimatum it issued the management of MTN.
Ngige said the need for harmony in the telecom industry had become imperative as the COVID-19 pandemic has led to greater reliance on telecommunication, with virtual activities replacing physical ones.
“We are doing social distancing. We are doing so many things that require us not to meet so much physically, as part of the COVID-19 protocols.
“This is a time for digital technology; a time to ensure that our telecommunication industry, as part of our overall communication, is not destabilized,” Nigige said.
