Nigeria’s telecommunications sector is facing a potential shutdown as more than 800 workers from the Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PTECSSAN) commenced a 7-day strike on Monday, threatening to disrupt nationwide telecom services. The strike, organized in protest against the poor working conditions and unfair labor practices within the sector, could leave millions of users across the country without access to essential communication services.
The striking workers, who are primarily contract employees, are demanding better working conditions, union recognition, the reinstatement of dismissed colleagues, and the payment of membership dues. In a formal strike notice, the union stated, “The strike has become inevitable because of the precarious working conditions our members are enduring, the refusal of employers to recognize and respect their constitutional right to freely associate with the union, and the unjust dismissal of three union members.”
Okonu Abdullahi, PTECSSAN’s Secretary-General, emphasized the significant impact the strike could have on telecom services. Speaking to Punch, Abdullahi warned, “The implications of the strike will be massive because we have instructed all our members not to respond to any service outages. Outages occur daily, and without our engineers addressing them, subscribers in affected areas will be left without service.”
The workers involved in the strike include critical personnel such as field maintenance engineers, gearbox engineers, customer care engineers, and fiber engineers, all employed by key telecom service providers. The companies affected by the strike include Huawei Technologies Nigeria Limited, Tylium Nigeria Limited, Concept Point Nigeria Limited (CPNL), Tremblem Nigeria Limited (TNL), and Specific Tools & Techniques (ST&T) JusPartner.
The strike follows a similar labor dispute in April, which was resolved through a reconciliation meeting facilitated by the Ministry of Labour. However, PTECSSAN claims that the issues raised during that strike have resurfaced, and with more members participating in the current action, the situation has escalated. In a statement, Abdullahi expressed frustration with the recurring nature of the grievances: “The labour ministry had intervened in our previous industrial action, but unfortunately, the companies are still repeating the same issues, which have now escalated.”
With telecom services forming the backbone of daily communication and business operations in Nigeria, the ongoing strike has raised concerns about widespread service outages if the dispute is not swiftly addressed. Millions of Nigerians depend on these services for internet access, phone communication, and other critical infrastructure, making the outcome of this strike crucial for the entire country.
As the seven-day strike unfolds, it remains to be seen whether the government and telecom companies will intervene in time to prevent a nationwide disruption of telecom services.
