Indications emerged at the weekend that following reported agreements reached between Airtel Nigeria and the labor vanguard under the umbrella of the Nigeria Labor Congress and the Union of Postal and Telecommunication Workers, the Indo-Nigerian telephone company may re-open its offices across Nigeria this Monday.
Sharpedgenews.com reliably gathered that both expatriate and Nigerian partners of Airtel have bitten the humble pie and accepted its obvious gaffe in its decision to sack its Nigerian workers who are offered better pay, a shameful statement on how influential Nigerians in public and private sectors often make their countrymen subservient to foreigners, often referred to as “masters”.
Airtel was said to have denied that Nigerians were laid-off for new Indian recruits, saying that the contracts of the Nigerians had “lapsed”, even as the company has laid out its phased program for normalization of industrial harmony. “They promised to re-absorb the said workers”, said an inside source who commended the resolve of the Nigerian workers who “regretted this new form of slavery from every Tom, Dick and Harry. Airtel knows how much it has lost with this thoughtless conduct.”
Airtel Nigeria Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Mr. Rajan Swaroop in a statement October 9 said the telecommunications firm was grateful for the loyalty of its customers while the impasse lasted. Airtel has also restored services to the Federal Capital Territory and the adjoining parts of northern Nigeria.
Swaroop stated, “We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience the situation may have caused our customers just as we thank them for their understanding. We equally commend our customers for their loyalty and abiding faith in the Airtel brand.
“We wish to reassure customers of Airtel’s continuous commitment to providing Nigerians a world-class mobile network, innovative and relevant products and services and affordable tariffs which will empower our people to succeed in their business and personal endeavours. Airtel remains committed to the task of building a robust telecommunication infrastructure and providing Nigerians a pleasant communication experience.”
Swaroop added, “We reiterate that the unfortunate incident was due to a misunderstanding between our business partners, their employees and the labour unions. Though the affected workers were not employees of Airtel Nigeria, the company would continue to persuade its partners to ensure fair treatment within the provisions of Nigeria’s labour laws and the dictates of best practice within and outside the industry. We thank the Federal Ministry of Labour, Federal Ministry of Communications Technology, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) the Senate and the House of Representatives for their roles in ensuring return to normalcy.
“We remain passionate about our role as a key player in the Nigerian economy in line with our vision of becoming the most loved brand in the daily lives of Nigerians”, the Airtel CEO restated.
Officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the National Union of Post and Telecommunications Empolyees (NUPTE) forcefully closed offices and customer shops of Airtel across the country following a dispute over outsourcing between the workers and Airtel partners Spanco Channel BPO Limited and Tech Mahindra.