When questioned about field workers, the Huawei representative acknowledged that they might be impacted by the strike, but clarified that they were not directly employed by Huawei. Instead, they were part of subcontracting teams.
In April, when the union embarked on a similar strike, The PUNCH reached out to Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, for comments. He stated that the union was unknown to mobile operators, saying:
“This group is not known to us in ALTON, and the companies mentioned are not members of ALTON. ALTON subscribes to freedom of association, and we are open to dialogue for the greater good,” he said in a chat.
The union was asked if it had any recognition or affiliation with the telcos; Abdullahi responded, “We’ve tried to contact ALTON, but they’ve never made themselves available to discuss issues with us.
“We wrote to them in 2020 and 2021, sent reminders, and even followed up with calls, but they always had excuses, such as their chairman being out of the country. We’re wondering why they’re ignoring us, especially since they’re aware of our existence,” he said.
The President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, Tony Emoekpere, told The PUNCH that he was not aware of the matter regarding the potential strike by telecom workers, as the union is not affiliated with the association.
However, Emoekpere emphasized the critical importance of protecting the telecom sector, saying, “Telecom services have become a critical infrastructure that must be safeguarded at all costs.”
He further stressed that the telecom industry is a vital asset to the country, adding, “Anything that jeopardizes its functionality must be protected. We cannot afford to compromise the stability of this essential sector.”