Posted by By Victor Ahiuma-Young on
LAGOS - BARELY two months after workers of the embattled Nigerian Telecommunication (NITEL) called off over one week nationwide strike to protest backlog of unpaid salaries, Senior Staff Association.....
LAGOS - BARELY two months after workers of the embattled Nigerian Telecommunication (NITEL) called off over one week nationwide strike to protest backlog of unpaid salaries, Senior Staff Association of Utlities, Statutory Corporation and Government Companies (SSAUCGOC), has issued an August 12 (Saturday) deadline to the management of the organisation to pay up outstanding three months salary arrears as well as rent and leave allowances for 2006, failing which the workers would down tools.
The last strike by staff of NITEL apart from paralysing business operations of the organisation, also disrupted operations of Private telecommunication Operators (PTOs) many of whom are said to be indebted to NITEL to over N86 Billion.
Information made available to Vanguard shows that SSAUCGOC had actually on July 7, 2006, issued the strike notice to the management with a July 29, 2007 deadline and had since then written two separate letters to the management of NITEL on July 25, and 31, to remind management of the July 29, deadline and to extend the deadline to August 12.
In the July 7, letter addressed to Mr. M A Mashi, Managing Director\Chief Executive Officer of NITEL and signed by SSAUCGOC's President-General and General Secretary, Dr. Peace Nkiru Obiagulu and Chief Chubby Nwagbara respectively, the association lamented the non-payment of May and June Salaries as well as rent allowances due to workers since January.
The letter read in part: "It is therefore our strong advice that you explore all necessary avenues and means open to your high office to ensure that all allowances and salaries due to NITEL staff are duly settled on or before July 29, 2006."