TOP GSM services provider, Airtel Nigeria has reached an accord with its partners -Spanco and Tech Mahindra, as well as NLC and NUPTE (National Union of Post and Telecommunications Employees). As a result, the telco’s offices in Abuja and other parts of the country, shut down in the wake of a dispute, re-opened for business.

Airtel Nigeria’s CEO, Mr Rajan Swaroop apologised to the network’s teeming customers over the development. In a statement signed October 9, Swaroop stated, “We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience the situation may have caused our customers just as we thank them for their understanding. We equally commend our customers for their loyalty and abiding faith in the Airtel brand.

“We wish to reassure customers of Airtel’s continuous commitment to providing Nigerians a world-class mobile network, innovative and relevant products and services and affordable tariffs which will empower our people to succeed in their business and personal endeavours.”

Officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress and NUPTE shut offices and customer shops of Airtel across the country following a dispute over outsourcing between the workers and Airtel partners, Spanco Channel BPO Limited and Tech Mahindra. While the union claimed workers were sacked, Tech Mahindra and Spanco claimed it was only a matter of expiration of the existing contracts between them and the HR firms that recruited the workers.

The reopening of the offices and the restoration of service in Abuja and most of northern Nigeria came on the heels of an agreement reached by the telecommunication company, its partners, and the Labour Unions -NUPTE and the NLC. With this, SPANCO and Tech Mahindra will ensure that all the call centre staff affected by contract expiration before the dispute will resume work not later than Thursday, October 13, 2011.

Also, negotiations will begin with a view to putting in place a collective bargaining agreement which parties concerned have to conclude on or before October 28, 2011, according to the communiqué.