The Lagos Division of the National Industrial Court has ordered MTN Nigeria Communications to pay full four years post-disengagement salaries to 63 workers, who were laid off by the company in 2009, Punch reports.

The court presided over by Justice P.O. Lifu orderd MTN to pay judgment credit sum within 30 days from October 26, 2016 when the judgment was delivered, failing which the judgment credit would attract an annual interest of 10 per cent. The court also awarded additional N10,000 against MTN in favour of each of the 63 workers to cover the cost of filing the suit numbered NICN/LA/596/2013.

The claimants in the suit are Harrison Ossai, Gabriel Ameh and Stephen Mahaja, who sued on behalf of themselves and 60 other workers laid off by MTN with the condition that they must never work with any other telecommunication company for four years after their disengagement. The claimants had, in their suit, claimed to have been subjected to financial hardship on account of the restraint of trade imposed on them by MTN.

Ossai, in his testimony before the court, said the trade restraint imposed by MTN bungled his chances of being employed by Globacom and Airtel, which were other telecommunication companies, adding that after being sacked by MTN, he was jobless for six years. Like other claimants, he urged the court to order MTN to pay him N10m and another N20m for filing the suit.

In his judgment, Justice Lifu said he was “satisfied that the claimants had proved their claims before the court as to the oppressive and unreasonableness of the restraint of trade covenant for four years for making and leaving the claimants hard and dry for four years.”

The judge held, “Terminating the employment of the claimants and at the same time restricting them from seeking any employment from the sector generally and preventing them to be acting as agents or adviser or to engage in any other concern directly or indirectly for four years is clearly unreasonable in the light of global economic challenges occasioned by recession, which has resulted in mass unemployment.”

The judge ruled that each of the workers was entitled to be paid his last gross salary for four years after being sacked and ordered MTN to pay with an additional N10,000 each as cost.

http://www.exlinklodge.com/2016/12/court-orders-mtn-to-pay-63-sacked-staff.html

nice

Good

Good radiant. The same should apply to banks too. Dont just pick up ur dismisal letter and shed tears, challenge it if u feel its illegal.

Great decision

"The judge ruled that each of the workers was entitled to be paid his last gross salary for four years after being sacked and ordered MTN to pay with an additional N10,000 each as cost."

So if the gross pay was N6mil * 4 years = N24million PLUS additional N10,000 = N24,010,000

(MTN is already owing the Federal Republic of Nigeria some Blns') + (N24,010,000 * 63 passengers workers) = Error figures

Lalasticlala ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

nice one

I hope they enforce the judgment.

haba make we pity MTN small na....na only dem der sack der staff?....if we pursue mtn now the competition go reduce and glo go use us shine

forceful mtn subscriptions and flash messages loading....................................... ,but seriously that is what they will do.

MTN is abt time you pack and go

nice opinion they should keep it up to stop other company from terminating staff the way they like

Millions of naira for the 63 staff. I hope mtn obey the court order and pay the money.

If a country have a standard rule of law, this won't have happened..... how will you sack with paying entitlements?... Hope they obey court order!

Keneking:
Great decision

"The judge ruled that each of the workers was entitled to be paid his last gross salary for four years after being sacked and ordered MTN to pay with an additional N10,000 each as cost."

So if the gross pay was N6mil * 4 years = N24million PLUS additional N10,000 = N24,010,000

(MTN is already the Federal Republic of Nigeria some Blns') + (N24,010,000 * 63 passengers workers) = Error figures

Lalasticlala ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

That maybe their penalty for blowing whistle on tariff inclement. Why have the Court been silent for long until now?


Being careful with apc government and its members is called for.

how can you sack someone and same time restrain them from working in other companies how evil is that

MTN Need to be taught a serious lesson in dis country...these south africans are xenophobic..

Many can be protected if our labour laws can be fully enforced

Good news. I like it whenever these people pay for their sins

Good

Mtn
From one wahala to another wahala

and and some people will blame Buhari. He brought sanity to the land. The court has never ordered for companies especially telecoms to pay for sh*ts like this. The previous one was paid because of unsolicited messages. We are getting there gradually

Gbam.. mtn go run from dis nation o. Why all this anti mtn things

This is good. Keep it up

I love this, it is time we drive MTN away.

ollah1:
and and some people will blame Buhari. He brought sanity to the land. The court has never ordered for companies especially telecoms to pay for sh*ts like this. The previous one was paid because of unsolicited messages. We are getting there gradually

u are really observant..its not business as usual....

serve them right. it's time we start showing employer who is boss hope they can't appreciate this judgement oh!

Our judiciary is becoming sane this days. if this was before, the judge would have smile to the bank by the time MTN finish giving him free jokes. Mature minds know what i mean.