Nigerian telecommunications services are likely to be disrupted as union workers prepare to strike on Wednesday
Nigerian Telecommunications Services
On Monday, June 14, 2021, the Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PTECSSAN) — a union that advocates for telecom workers' rights in Nigeria — announced plans to stage a three-day warning strike.
Today, Wednesday, June 16, 2021, will begin the industrial action. According to reports, users may be unable to use data or voice services conveniently during the three-day strike, as these services are likely to be disrupted.
PTECSSAN Reasons
According to The Punch, PTECSSAN is going on strike to express their outrage over what General Secretary Okonu Abdullahi refers to as "arbitrary dismissals and casualisations."
According to Abdullahi, workers are typically outsourced, creating a significant issue for the industry. And, because this is a recurring issue, workers are perpetually underpaid.
PTECSSAN has recently made demands and threatened to strike in response to this issue. None of their demands, however, have been fulfilled.
PTECSSAN threatened a two-week warning strike in August 2020 over issues including worker remuneration, employee relations practices, exit packages for long-term employees, and alleged abuse of expatriate quotas.
Likewise, the telecom association planned to stage a strike against Huawei Technologies Nigeria Limited, a telecom equipment manufacturer, in March 2021. They maintained their refusal to allow workers to form unions.
However, that strike action was suspended following an intervention by Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Dr Isa Pantami. He stated in a statement that he was prepared to address PTECSSAN's concerns.
The strike action, which is expected to begin today, is reportedly in response to precarious working conditions in the telecom sector, including employers' disregard for occupational health and safety, a lack of hazard allowance and inadequate remuneration, and employers' abuse of national laws and institutions.
While the association may be protesting for its rights, the disruption of data and voice services could have a negative impact on Nigeria's economy.
MTN reportedly announced yesterday, Tuesday, June 15, 2021, that service in Nigeria may be disrupted due to insecurity in the country.
This means that in some instances, MTN's technical support team may be unable to reach the site in time to provide the best possible solution.
Remember that between December 2020 and March 2021, the Nigerian telecom lost 15.5 million mobile subscribers due to the SIM registration ban. As a result, this will not be the telecom sector's first disruption in recent months.
Sub-Saharan Africa will lose $237.4 million in 2020 due to Internet shutdowns.
According to Statista, the global Internet user population stood at 4.66 billion in January 2021. As of January 2021, Data Reportal estimated that Nigeria had 187.9 million mobile connections and 104.4 million Internet users.
According to Deloitte's 2016 The Economic Impact of Internet Connectivity Disruptions report, in a low connectivity country with a GDP per capita of $6,000, a population of approximately 40 million, and fixed broadband penetration of approximately 5%, a temporary Internet shutdown could have an estimated GDP impact of approximately $3 million per day of disruption, or 0.4 percent of daily GDP.
This demonstrates the Internet's critical role in today's business.
We contacted MTN and Airtel but have not yet received a response as of press time.
Pantami's intervention is not certain this time, and the industrial strike action may not benefit the association's demands.
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