In what started as a work-free day for some sections of Nigerian working population spurred by industrial action demonstrated jointly by Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and other labour unions, MTN has ordered its Nigerian staff to join the strike.
South Africa telecommunication company and major network operator in Nigeria, MTN has ordered the closure of its Nigerian office whilst the strike action persists, Reuters reports.
The strike action is based on a sole demand; Wages. The union advocates a fierce review of labour terms which are considered insensitive. The demand has, however, snowballed into series of back and forth bargains and tones of closed-door meetings between the union and representatives of the Federal Government.
The union had registered its demand to review minimum wage upward from a meagre ₦18,000 considered insufficient to ₦50,000.
Nairametrics documented the budding stories between NLC and key stakeholders alongside event build-up surrounding the union’s move. It had earlier voiced its frustration where the union issued a 2 weeks ultimatum, and when nothing was forthcoming, it declared a nation-wide strike that commenced today.
There appears to still be a steady flow of commercial activities in Lagos and private businesses around unbothered in complete oblivion of NLC pronouncement.
However, major Federal Ministries are currently observing the strike action; the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) office is on lockdown so is the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, Ministry of finance and many more.
This move by MTN might be an attempt to stir clear of yet another picketing, mostly because the telco has had its fair share of challenges in recent times.
