The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Monday, picketed the telecommunication giant, MTN Nigeria offices in Bauchi, over anti-labour practices.
Comrade Hashimu Gital, Chairman, NLC), Bauchi State, who led the picketing, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the action was to advance issues of decent work and better conditions of service for workers.
“Every worker is entitled to better working conditions,” he said, accusing the telecommunication company of regularly renewing employment contract with its workers as a way of shying away from the respiratory similitude of paying gratuity and pension to them.
“We are giving them three days as warning, as directed by the National office of the NLC in Abuja,’’ he said.
According to him, the company, at every three months, sacks its workers and give them a new contract.
“This is not acceptable. Our laws do not accept that, and those workers need to be liberated.
“We need to tell them that they need to respect the laws of the country; they need to also respect our own labour laws, but most importantly, they must respect human and trade union rights.
“Workers have dignity, workers are not slaves and therefore, all workers must be treated with the best of attention. Injury to the workers at MTN is an injury to all Nigerian workers,’’ Gital said.
All efforts to talk to MTN officials in Bauchi proved abortive, as those met said they were not allowed to talk on any issue pertaining the company.
“It is only corporate headquarters, Abuja, that is supposed to talk,” said one of them.