By Technology Times Reporters
Online appeals have gone to President Goodluck Jonathan, seen on his Facebook page urging him to wade into alleged job cuts affecting 3000 workers in Airtel Nigeria. Inset is Chairman, Airtel Nigeria, Oba Otudeko (left); CEO, Airtel Nigeria, Rajan Swaroop and Chairman, Bharti Airtel, Sunil Mittal
Lagos. October 2, 2011. Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan has come under mounting online pressure to wade into alleged mass sack of 3000 workers of Airtel Nigeria, the number three mobile phone operator by subscriber number, owned by Bharti Airtel of India.
A groundswell of online campaign has been triggered with viral messages calling for a boycott of Airtel Nigeria on October 9, this year in the wake of last Friday’s alleged job cuts affecting customer care workers of the mobile phone operator.
The mobile phone company could not be reached for comments on the alleged job cuts said to have been handed down 3000 workers, a development that has sparked online rage on discussion boards and social media networks on the internet.
Nigeria’s President’s fans have also taken their protest to Jonathan’s Facebook page where he currently count some 652,819 fans and have urged him to look into the alleged unfair deal to the Nigerian workers at the Indian mobile phone company.
The aggrieved Facebook fans of Jonathan that took the battle to Goodluck on the social media network are asking him to wade into allegations that by axing 3000 workers of the company on the eve of Nigeria’s 51st Independence Anniversary, the Indian mobile phone company had alleged treated them unfairly.
Sparked by the alleged unfair treatment of the workers at the mobile phone company, an online mass protest has gone viral over the last 48 hours asking subscribers to boycott Airtel Nigeria on October 9.
Airtel Nigeria could not be reached for comments on the matter
In the matter which has become viral over blogosphere, the online community is waging a call for subscribers of Airtel Nigeria to boycott the network on October 9, this year.
“Mr President we ar (sir) celebrating while foreigner dey (sic) ar (sic) frustrating youth that u (sic) promise (sic) jobs during ur (sic) campaign”, Philip Chukwuebuka a fan of President Jonathan posted on photos of the President seen marking the Independence Day at the seat of power in Aso Rock, Abuja.
Online protesters alleged that Airtel handed down the Independence Day eve shocker to its customer care agents after a wage dispute linked with plans by the Indian company to cut down wages from N75,000 to N30,00 monthly.
They alleged that the owners of the company had claimed that the Nigerian customer care agents were “paid too much” as a manager in India was paid the equivalent of N75,000.
“Fellow Nigerian about 3,000 workers lost there (sic) jobs yesterday a day!”, says an protest petition that has gone viral on Facebook, other social media circles as well as Nairaland, the nation’s most visited Internet discussion site.
According to Philip Chukwuebuka’s post on Goodluck’s Facebook fan page Airtel is allegedly suspending operations in its Abuja and Lagos call centres over refusal of its workers to accept a 60 per cent pay cut and another 50 per cent cut in workforce.
“Imagine a 60% reduction in salaries at a time when prices are spiraling upwards & such high level of unemployment!”, says the President’s fan tasking him on his promise to create jobs in the country.
“We can help our friends, brothers & sisters keep their jobs & support their families by boycotting Airtel & spread the word”, according to an online petition spreading across the Internet and calling for a boycott of Airtel Nigeria come October 9, this year.
To drive home their point, the protesters have set up a Facebook national public event, “Boycott Airtel” to protest the alleged job cuts on October 9, this year by refusing to send text or make calls on the network of the mobile phone company.
“My fellow Nigerian about 3thousand workers lost there jobs yesterday a day to our independence celebration. Let us join hands together as one and say NO to modern day “Slavery” by a fellow “Third World Country” stop loading your Airtel lines and on d 9th of October everyone having an Airtel should not “Make Call” or “Send Text” enough is enough from Multi National Corporation”, Sulaiman Kailani, a Facebook fan said in a post to Jonathan calling on other “Patriotic Nigerians” to support the cause.
The Airtel Nigeria issue has also become a topical debate on Nairaland, one of the nation’s most visited discussion websites.
Airtel had last year promised to create new jobs and drive employment creation programmes in the mobile phone company after outsourcing programmes of its previous owners, Zain of Kuwait, had led to massive job cuts and loss of morale, issues that were to impact its overall market performance.
Airtel paid $10.7billion for Zain African operations including Nigeria and had in July last year changed the name of the company, announced a planned $600 million injection into its operation over the next three years in an effort to gain local telecoms leadership in a market ranked as the fastest growing on the continent.
This must be dicontinued,I know of 3 close friends affected in their last job cut exercise.
Indians cannot determine the going rate of pay pacKage in our economy.
Airtel and its FRONTS, Spanco n Techmahindra have finally put a lie to the many accolades of customer service excellence given by reputable bodies… By their recent act of laying off over two thousand customer service staff… The most important people in their organisation, who do damage control, listen to, help, resolve customers issues n bring in all the money. Let ALL airtel customers know…that without this people..they can’t enjoy the services they paid for.and remember in Ghana.there is no single contract staff.WHY? There government didn’t allow it
“My cuz too was affected” as I just sent out that BC someone sent back that reply…shei una see am? A day to INDEPENDENCE O! Haba?! ..abeg spread the word…how can they be generating what d Indian economy is unable to generate for them here in Nigeria and refuse to treat us as NIGERIANS ought to be treated?! I don’t work with Aittel but please let’s cause a change in this country in the little ways we can.
Spread the word.…boycott all airtell calls and text messages. We have to start Seeing changes in this country.
I think we should all stop using d network.
The government will have to stand in on this issue. New agent will be hired and the sad thing is people will take the jobs, cos they do not know how good it could be. 30k is small for the typical standard of living in Abuja, rent is high, water, light and transport, something needs to be done and fast.
I work there and we were sacked on friday and they even brought the police force to throw us out of the building
Am so sick of this modern days slavery….let’s stop them from operating in this country of ours.but in †ђξ meantime,i urge all nigerians to stop using that network AIRTEL as all line will soon НªvΣ problems of recharging,sending sms,browsing(all DATA services),Âηð even making voice calls….REMEMBER!!same people who are to attend to all this when problems arise НªvΣ all been sacked.
This is the least the people in government can do for the masses that elected them.I’m calling on the presidency senate & HOR to stand against this evil!cheapest rent is 350thousand Naira for a room self contain in Abuja town.are this workers suppose to use all the salary for rent?what happens to feeding,clothing,transportation or sending money to aged parents in the village? This is wickedness in the highest order!
Its so painful its as if am dreaming but what can I say than to beg our president to come to our aid I’m part of it just to scared to go back to labour market
very wicked set of bloody indians, I don’t blame them I blame d nigerians in d Airtel management like oba otudeko who cannot speak out on behalf of his country men & tell them how things are been done here.They can’t come into our country make money out of us, mind you in billions of dollars & pay us peanuts. Our government need to step into this.
Yes. We should count them out. They are not performing as expected like other networks
Under normal circumstances and in a Civilised society like ours, shouldn’t the so called contracts workers be given prior notice informing them about the expiration of their contracts? This is so contrary to the provisions of our Labour Act. What about the manner used by the so called outsourcing Agency CCSNL and Co to inform them of the end of their contract. Days like this makes you cry for Gani Fawehenmi, what are the Civil Rights Activists! How come the Newspapers and TV houses have not written about or aired it? its time to arise and say NO! its a call for action from our elected representatives, this is a wrong way to treat the Citizens of this country.The affected workers could be your Sons and Daughters!
Most of them are Husbands,Wives and breadwinners of their family
Patriotic Nigerians, on the same note story was Zenith Bank Plc that disengaged almost 300 System administrators 3 Months ago without No tangible reasons & respect.I am a victim of this Zenith Bank plc disengagement.
No prior notice nor reason for the disengagement.it was a shock on a good monday morning of 2zth june, 2011.The disengaged system Administrator came as usual to office only to be disallowed access into the office and only to be served with their respective isengagement Letters.
No media seems to be aware of this injustice dismissal of these system Administrators by Zenith Bank and the matter seems to be swept under the carpet.But with this urgly development of Airtel telecommunication,Zenith Bank Plc too could be brought to book.
Fellow Nigerian Let us join hands together as one and say NO to modern day “Slavery” enough is enough.This injustice must not be allowed.
Patriotic Nigerians, on the same note story was Zenith Bank Plc that disengaged almost 300 System administrators 3 Months ago without No tangible reasons & respect.I am a victim of this Zenith Bank plc disengagement.
No prior notice nor reason for the disengagement.it was a shock on a good monday morning of 2zth june, 2011.The disengaged system Administrator came as usual to office only to be disallowed access into the office and only to be served with their respective disengagement Letters.
No media seems to be aware of this injustice dismissal of these system Administrators by Zenith Bank and the matter seems to be swept under the carpet.But with this urgly development of Airtel telecommunication,Zenith Bank Plc too could be brought to book.
Fellow Nigerian Let us join hands together as one and say NO to modern day “Slavery” enough is enough.This injustice must not be allowed.
Maybe they should bring in those Indians from there country who collect such amounts in there country. Let’s see how they will survive. This is outrightly crazy. A fellow third world country! Mtscewwwwwww
This is gross misconduct, it’s unacceptable, all Nigerians irrespective of class or division must stand up to this. Enough is enough.
Information reaching us today is that Airtel is going round all media houses in Naija to black out this mass action. The will of ourb people cannot be killed by these Indians and their nijeria friends. Boycott Airtel today. 150 m Nigerians
They are already fighting back at us with their dirty tactics. Where is this country going o. Thank you sambo for the update.
Fools
Read this
http://olorisupergal.blogspot.com/2011/10/airtel-debunk-sack-rumors-says-40.html
This Indians are unrealistic in all there approach to business, I’m among those whose lost there job this friday the eve of 51st independent celebration. A week before that day, after several fora with our union they demanded from the union that they need a first-hand feedback from the customer care agent. In that meeting they told us that they have a proposal to make about our new salary scheme and that they needed to hear our opinion about it. They announced a 60% pay cut with no clear objectives for the cut, we demand reason but the played to gallery as they say is just a proposal. Friday 30, as though waiting for the expiration of our contract they spell out the new scheme [increased work days from 5 to 6day, increased work hours from 6 to 8hours, a 50% cutdown in work force, decreased annual leave from 30working days to 6days and a 12days sick leave (of they expect sick leave to be more than annual leave because of the work condition) and to crown new scheme with a pay cut of 60% which they did not reflect on the bulletin thought is the trigger for the stagger] with suspension of operation from 12midnight 30th sept. This is pre-planed, feel we are to civilised for them that is why they have played to the gallery and waited for our contract to expire and we decide not to take this because we don’t want anyone to suffer this, we know what it is to work for 6hrs there, and we are by this campaign trying to expose this so that innocent nigerian youth will not think they’ve gotten a fine job with Airtel just to fine out fallen to modern slavery; and if they complain they are sacked. Thus becoming a sack and hire programme of slavery hoping more nigerians will come for this factor: No Job. This is unacceptable please. Save the feature of nigerian youth help fight the monster Spanco and Tedmahindra Barti Airtel.
Stubs Sambo,
As concerned Nigerians plead with you to make sure you giv latest information on this issue. Please let’s all work together to battle this Airtel matter.
@Sambo, the latest on the disengaged System Administrators of Zenith bank plc remain that, they were disengaged with little or no compensantion to justify the good useful years spent serving the Bank.
The media says nothing about the disengaged and the matter seems to have been swept under carpet.
@Dave and sambo, since you guys are on the inside and know what is happening is it possible to keep us up to date with the happenings on the matter. I am involved because we cannot allow this modern day slavery to stand. Please give us daily updates. This will make people and families go through an horrible ordeal in their own country. Horrible, horrible and horrible.
Jeez!!! I didn’t believe it when I heard it until I met a staff of Airtel @ the salon. Mgt of Airtel are wicked. 29k salary in Nigeria, for a graduate who was receiving 74k in the same Organisation. Na wa o!
We have had enough of Airtel. Since they took over the telecom business in Nigeria, there has been problem everywhere. NCC should do something about this.
What do u expect from a firm that has changed names just like as camellion changes colours. May God Almighty help and deliver us from wicked Indians managing the Airtel co.
Zenith bank plc Disengaged 300 staff (system Administrators) with little or no benefit, This are people that serve the company with all there strength and knowledge, people that work hard for the development of this bank, We work hard for the successful deployment of a new software application not knowing, that is what they need to get us off, we were even deceived to train other staffs some of our Job function telling us that we would be given a new job function.
Well Zenith you can only take the Job but can never take away the knowledge and wisdom that God has given us.
I am off you, you can never have another me there.
And even if you begged me to come back I will never come into that slavery world.
To everyone looking For Job or currently working for someone or company please had value to urself.
Learn a trade or a hand work with which you can sustain yourself and family.
I most tell you all there is no reliable company in this country. The only reliable one is God.
It’s funny that subscribers in Zambia are planning a November 9 boycott as well ! But for quiet different reasons: quality of Internet service and tarrif issues.
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