Airtel and FG agree to recall sacked workers

Nigeria Limited has agreed to ensure that over 3,000 call centres workers earlier sacked by its business partners, Spanco channel BPO Limited and Tech Mahindra Nigeria Limited, were recalled before Thursday, October 13, 2011.

Similarly, organised labour is to call off its industrial action against Airtel Networks Limited and ensure that stability returned to the company .

These were part of agreement reached at the meeting brokered by the Minister of Labour and Productivity between the management of Airtel and organised labour in Abuja.

The agreement was signed by Jubril Saba for Airtel Networks Ltd, Sunday Alhassan and Taiwo Foluso for National Union of Postal and Telecommunication Employees, NUPTE, Digvijay Srivastava for Spanco Channels BPO Ltd, while Uchenna Ekwe and Comrade Nuhu A. Toro signed for Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC. Others are Mukul Sah for Tech Mahindra Nig Ltd and Chinedu C. Dike on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity

According to the communiqué “ the issue of the outstanding fourth(4th) Quarter,2010 and the first (1st) Quarter 2011 Quarterly incentive scheme, contained in the Agreement signed by the parties on July 27, 2011 shall be implemented accordingly.

In consideration of security issues and matters ancillary thereto, stability shall be restored to the Airtel Networks Limited commencing immediately and the Labour Movement shall actively assist in ensuring the stability.

Airtel will mandate its Business Partners i.e Spanco channel BPO Limited and Tech Mahindra Nigeria Limited to ensure the resumption of all staff affected by the suspension of operations not later than Thursday, October 13, 2011.”

“On Friday, October 14, 2011 negotiation shall commence between Airtel Services Limited, Spanco Channel BPO Limited, Tech Mahindra Nigeria Limited and National Union of Post and Telecommunications Employees (NUPTE) with a view to putting in place a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

The Collective Bargaining Agreement shall be concluded by October 28, 2011.There shall be no victimization whatsoever of any worker on account of any action or omission committed during the industrial crisis.