![]() |
Ayuba Wabba |
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Friday picketed the offices of Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and telecommunications giant MTN for allegedly engaging in casualisation of workers and denying them their privileges.
The NLC President, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, said the picketing of
the two organisations became necessary in the face of their utter disregard for
trade union rights and as commemoration of World Day for Decent Work (WDDW).
The WDDW is slated for Saturday, Oct. 7.
Wabba said that the NLC had it on good authority that Abuja
street sweepers were being knocked down by hit and run vehicles without
compensation to their families by AEPB.
He said NLC would not fold its arms while AEPB treated
workers as slaves, adding that Abuja street sweepers deserved better treatment
by giving them good conditions of service.
Mrs. Ogbonna Kate, Deputy Director, Environmental Health and
Safety, AEPB ,said that the agency was already taking steps to regularise the
appointment of some of the workers.
She said that the management of AEPB would meet and get back
to NLC in one month.
Meanwhile, NLC has accused MTN of being in the habit of
sacking workers every three months without respect for workers’ dignity and
right.
Wabba said MTN must respect human and trade union rights.
He said, “we must promote decent work.”
Mr. Alhassan Sunday, President, National Union of Postal and
Telecommunication Employees, said since 2001 MTN had taken profit back to South
Africa without paying pensioners’ gratuity.
He added that once a worker attained retirement age, MTN
sacked such person without compensation.
He accused MTN of arrogance and displaying impunity,
pointing out that graduates in MTN were treated as casual workers with no
employment letters.
In her reaction, Amina Usman, General Manager, MTN, Abuja,
said she was conscious of the fact that “we all need better working condition.”
She said that MTN was working toward improving workers’
welfare and promised that all the issues raised by the labour union would be
addressed.
Usman promised to get back to NLC in one week, adding that
the management of MTN would schedule a meeting at its corporate headquarters in
Lagos to resolve the issues raised.
A mild drama occurred when MTN locked its gate against NLC
members but the union compelled the management to open gate.
It took the intervention of the police to quell the violence
that erupted when the union later gained entry into the MTN Maitama office.
(NAN)
0 comments:
Post a Comment