Nigeria - MTEL strike

Nigeria: MTEL Workers Shut Down 200,000 Lines Over Unpaid Salaries

Workers of the Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTEL) yesterday shut the entire 200,000 existing mobile lines of the company and all its call centres in the country over unpaid salary arrears owed them by Trans National Corporation (Transcorp) - the owners of MTEL.

But, Transcorp yesterday said it has reached a truce with striking workers of Nigerian Telecommunication Limited (NITEL) who had threatened to also shut down NITEL central Exchange if their five months salary arrears were not paid by yesterday.

Yesterday, angry MTEL workers sealed up the company's headquarters of MTEL located at Monrovia Street, Wuse II carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs, saying that there is no room for any negotiation until the salary of February and March was paid.

The President of the Senior Staff Association of Communication, Transport and Corporations, MTEL Branch, Auwalu Sulaiman said they have no regret on the action because the management didn't fulfil their promises.

He said they met earlier yesterday with Transcorp officials but the meeting ended in deadlock.

He said the action will affected over 200,000 lines in the network, where nobody will receive or make calls will MTEL line until all outstanding salaries and allowances were settled..

Management of MTEL and the Transcorp are not forthcoming in matters related to workers, that is why we have no other option then to embark on the strike action", said Suleiman..

On Monday, their counterparts at the Nigerian Telecommunication Limited have threaten to closed down Abuja Exchange of the company if their Five months salary arrears has not been paid by the Transcorp

But a stattment signed by Adedayo Ojo, Vice President Corporate relations of Transcorp sent to Vanguard in Abuja said Transcorp, representatives of labour unions have reached an agreement over payment of outstanding salaries to Nigerian Telecommunications Plc (NITEL ) workers, thus ending the threat to industrial dispute at NITEL.