PTECSSAN Suspends Planned Industrial Action against Huawei

Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff of Nigeria (PTECSSAN) has suspended its plan to embark on an industrial action that will affect the business of Huawei Technologies and in turn cause disruption to all networks in the country.

Comrade Okonu Abdullahi, general secretary of PTECSSAN, in a statement, said “the decision was taken after the intervention of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami. The Union announced the decision in a meeting presided over by the Minister himself.

He explained that, “Huawei Technologies Nigeria Limited Management which consisted of the Managing Director, the Deputy Managing Director and the Technical Director informed and assured everyone at the meeting that it was ready for resolution of all issues and concerns raised by PTECSSAN.

The Minister insisted that Unionisation of workers must not be kicked against by any employer, especially, when it is legislated.

A committee comprising two representatives each from PTECSSAN and the Management and representatives from both the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and the National Communications Commission.

The committee was saddled with the responsibility of looking for ways to resolve all the contending issues.

Recall that recently PTECSSAN issued a 14-day ultimatum to Huawei Technologies Nigeria Limited over what it described as disregard and denial of the workers fundamental right to freedom of association as enshrined in section 40 of the 1999 constitution.

“All our efforts in the past to address all the labour related issues confronting the workers in the company have been rebuffed by its management. Ultimate of which is gross disregard and denial of the workers their fundamental Right to Freedom of Association as enshrined in Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as well as Section 12(4) of the Trade Unions Act LFN 2004 and International Labour Organisation Conventions 87 and 98,” he stated.

He further explained that there would be consequences to industrial peace within the company if the demands of the union are not met within 14 days.

He lamented that it has become the culture of the company to make workers perform their duties under duress, adding that workers are intimidated, harassed, “and even threatened with sack at every slight opportunity.