BY BEN AGANDE & EMMA OVUAKPORIE
ABUJA—MEMBERS of the House of Representatives yesterday waded into the management crisis of Airtel which led to the retrenchment of over 3,000 workers last Sunday as the Nigeria Communications Commission, NCC, was directed to ensure that the workers were reinstated immediately.

Rep Yusuf Tajudeen, who represents Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency in a motion tagged: “Matter of urgent National interest: Sack of 3,000 Nigerian employees by the Indian management team of Airtel, “noted that the workers were arbitrarily and indiscriminately sacked.”

He further stressed that these Nigerians who were employed after rigorous assessment and examination had been thrown into the labour market by a group of Indians who manage the telecommunications firm.

He said: “The management team reneged in the agreement signed between Airtel and the Nigerian workers when the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, brokered truce and is alarming that Airtel had concluded plans to replace the sacked Nigerians with Indians, Asians and others who have lower qualifications and experience.”

Yusuf explained that “Nigerians were sacked after toiling, sacrificing and enduring very unfriendly and inhuman condition for years in Airtel and if the conduct of the telecommunication outfit is left unchecked, it can set a precedence for other companies managed by foreign nationals.”

The House, however, resolved that the House Committee on Communications and Labour, Employment and Productivity investigate the matter and report back to it within two weeks.

It also  instructed the Ministry of Communications Technology to direct NCC to wade into the matter by directing Airtel to revert to status quo, pending the conclusion of the matter.

It would be recalled that the management of the most troubled telecommunications carrier that had changed nomenclature more than any telecoms outfit in Nigeria recently, fired over 3,000 workers alleging poor productivity.

Last year, the workers embarked on an industrial action in Abuja where they alleged slave labour as the Indian management team deliberately refused to pay them accumulated overtime and other sundry allowances.