Staff of Airtel Nigeria Abuja office accuse the company of imposing unfriendly labour polices ON its Nigerian workers. - By George Emine
Less than one year after the acquisition of Zain Nigeria by Bharti Airtel Ltd, crisis is brewing between the management of the company and the workers. Spanco, an Indian business processing outsourcing, BPO firm which was contracted by the new owner, Bharti Airtel Ltd, to handle customer service is having a running battle with staff of the company in the Abuja office.   
The workers are accusing Spanco of inhuman treatment and other unfriendly labour policies.  The staff believe that working conditions were much better under Zain when two indigenous companies, HR Index and CCNL Nigeria were in charge of customer relations. Investigations by this magazine revealed that as soon as Spanco took over from HR Index and CCNL Nigeria, one of the very first things they did was to dismiss without any reason, all pregnant women at that time. 
The worse hit are staff in the customer care unit. Before Spanco took over the human resources of the company, the workers were entitled to three days off every week.  This was reduced to two days when Spanco took over; the staff were recently notified that this will be further reduced to one day. The duty hours, which  were suppose to come down since the off duty days have been reduced, have however, been jacked up. The workers are expected to be on duty for 10 hours as against seven hours previously with only one hour break. A staff of the department who craved anonymity told this magazine that this is taking its toll on his colleagues.
In what seems like an utter disregard to the previous structure, Spanco has decided to jettison the earlier work arrangement where team leaders supervised the staff under their care.  This is no longer the case; team leaders now take calls like every staff. “They don’t have  any regard for us.  The only people they treat as human beings are their fellow Indians, as if we the Nigerian staff are slaves, just to be used and dumped,” Newsworld was told.
The workers are also complaining of harsh working conditions. Hundreds of workers in a crowded hall are not provided with adequate ventilation and air conditioners when there is power outage as the management complain of high cost of diesel to fuel their generator sets. 
This magazine gathered that the workers are facing a bleak future with the planned transfer of the customer care centre to Ogun State. This may mean laying off staff in the Abuja office because the company is not prepared to pay transfer allowances to the workers.
There is a disparity in the salary of the workers. Old staff who were employed by HR Index and CCNL Nigeria, were paid N75, 000 while the new one, engaged by Spanco collect N40, 000. The old staff believe this is an orchestrated plan by Spanco to frustrate them out of work so as to employ new staff they will pay pittance. 
“They are doing all these to make sure we get frustrated and leave their work for them.  If I leave now, the person they will employ to take over from me will be paid only N40, 000, almost half of what I am earning.  So you see why they want to make things difficult for us.”  He blamed the problem on the unemployment situation in the country.
To make the matter worse for the workers, the company does not allow them to form a union. Every worker is dealt with  as an individual and not as a member of a group. But the workers have started mobilising against the unfriendly policies through text messages. One of such messages read: “Please don’t be scared to say NO to Spanco’s 10 hrs, don’t agree to be tied down for long hours. The extra hours is what gives us time to do other stuff to compensate the salary as we cannot depend on the low sum.  Cost of living in Abuja is high!  If you do not act and it is implemented, the work conditions will get increasingly worse.  If the schedule is published, teams working will not log on; a peaceful way to say NO until it is reviewed.  Don’t try sabotage because you want to find favour because you think you will be promoted.  You will not be treated differently.  Please be wise, let’s all work together!  We CAN!  BB and sms to as many contacts and groups, Spanco IT agents and team leaders, as possible.  The sooner this sms gets to management, the better.  Please, keep it moving.”
Some members of  staff who spoke with this magazine have vowed to resist any further poor or unhealthy labour policies.  “We will not surrender, but we will resist any inhuman treatment.  It is time someone said enough is enough.  If it is in their own country is this the way they will treat their workers?  So why will they deliberately want to subject us to slavery?” 
In a statement, Pravin Kumar, chief executive officer, CEO, of the company had noted that “Our relationships with customers are generally life long ones; we invest heavily in building capabilities and then create sustainable models which are replicable. We intend to adopt this approach in Africa.” Is this applicable to the workforce as well?
The company said it is planning to invest $20 million and employ 10,000 people across Africa in three years. Airtel has presence in seven African countries including Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC and Tanzania but its unfriendly labour policies may bring it into confrontation with labour unions.
Attempts to speak with the head of the corporate department proved abortive as he was not on seat.

http://nigeriannewsworld.com/content/airtel%E2%80%99s-slave-yard

So what is NCC doing about the excesses of all the telecoms companies?Today its Airtel,tomorrow it will be MTN!Yet these people cannot even try all these nonsense in their respective countries."Indians!Very inhuman set of people, in the name of "managing resources" or better still "cutting cost" they can make a person work 24/7 for no significant pay.

I weep for this country because all these incidents a traceable to bad leadership.Our leaders don't have the interest of the citizens in mind.you dare not try this in South Africa.Our leaders can likened to the biblical Esau who sold his birth right for a pottage.What a piteous fate!

Its unfortunate we still face situations like this in Nigeria, while Airtel is suppose to improve the welfare of its staffs to boast their morale,they are busy trying to fustrate them.Where are our Labour laws?

capitalism at its finest this is just a tip of the ice berg else where u r overworked like there is no tomorrow all in the name of cutting cost

silly bunch of fuckers!!! i see they have no presence in South Africa. They can only practice this BS in countries with ineffective labour laws, hence Naija, Kenya Congo et al. Smelly curry baztards!!!

the workers were entitled to three days off every week

this is ridiculous, do u think u think is nitel? if u work 7hrs a day and in a week u have 3days off how many hrs do they work in a week?. lol they really enjoyed it's pay back time. why complaining now, when they drop calls to N12 nobody complained all of u forgot dropping of calls will drop salary. lets wait and hear the company's version. in some of the oil companies is 3weeks on 1week off

Indians are the worst racist in the world, i don't know why Nigerians think the world of them, they are fond of using people and doing away with them like trash.

That is the way Indians think, they are aggressive and dont give a Bleep about you. Well I pray the NLC do something bout it,

when FG left nitel for u to manage what happened? no more room for their personal business they want the whole world hear it. when they where killing zain nobody complained. lol. go and fighter your lagislooters that go home with 15m every month stop making noise

Abeg make we hear word.it all bones down to demand and supply.make una go farm compare see which one be d real slavery

That is capitalism for you; nothing wrong with what the Indians are doing.

the curse is still in process,
from econet-vodafone-vmobile-celtel-zain-airtel and still counting and coming,

JUO:

this is ridiculous, do u think u think is nitel? if u work 7hrs a day and in a week u have 3days off how many hrs do they work in a week?. lol they really enjoyed it's pay back time. why complaining now, when they drop calls to N12 nobody complained all of u forgot dropping of calls will drop salary. lets wait and hear the company's version. in some of the oil companies is 3weeks on 1week off

what are u talking about? these guys work odd hours, sometimes do night shifts and they are not entitled to off days?

newmusic:

That is the way Indians think, they are aggressive and dont give a bleep about you. Well I pray the NLC do something bout it,

they really cant be bothered. they just wanna fleece us. Sad thing is nothing will come out of the matter.

Imagine a 3rd world country, India, We don suffer, Una no fit kidnapp am

I wonder why ignorant people just open their dirty mouths and talk on issue they know little about.I work in the telecom industry (not CCS though) and I can tell you how terrible working condition is particularly for CCAs in Airtel. I have a friend in Airtel CCS in Abuja who was almost crying when she was telling about the situation at her office. She has been on 75k salary for 2years now without increase in welfare package but more work.I worked with an Indian as my supervisor sometime ago. The guy is so abusive and inhuman that I vowed to my co at a point that I would beat up him.Luckily, I was moved to another section. Government should be up to their responsibility and check all these excesses.

its sad when i read disgusting nonsense from fellow nigerians supporting the inhumane work pratices introduced by these RACIST RED INDIANS who come into nigeria,live in good houses,ride choice cars and yet pay peanuts to Nigerians,its high time our labour laws are reviewed and the laws allowed to take its toil on this form of modern slavery and useless indian slave drivers.mschewwwwwwwwwww

is dere still labour in 9ja?

Gaiden k:

Imagine a 3rd world country, India, We don suffer, Una no fit kidnapp am

LOL. Make dem give you the contract?

I effing hate indian people they are a bunch of smelly bastards!!

indian they used staff like a slave,no saturday no sunday at the end of the month you go home with slave money

@johnpaul2k2
eeee b like say u no no INDIANS estead mk den liv NiJAA,MTN & ODAS go close BUSINE$$ liv onli dem 2 operate 4 NIJAA
ABI u don hear eni INDIA OR KORA COY komot 4 nijaa b4
NEVA
TIL MORO INDIANS,KORA & CHINCO GO STIL DEY KILLL NIGERIANS & NOTIN I RIPIT NOTIN GO HAPUN
IN ADDITION DEY GO EVUN SACK D WORKAS JOIN & KON MK IBB DIER CHAIRMAN,OBJ DIER PRESIDO

This is why I hate capitalism,prefential treatments rule under it.

who owns airtel please??

SPANCO seems to be spanking the hell out of its worker. What do you expect from a company with that kind of name SPANCO

What's happening to this airtel staff is a replica of what is obtainable in places where foreign pple manage. India, china and what have you. Go to some oil companies here, contractor staffs are on one salary for more than ten years. Instead of contract review to bring good welfare package, what you have is extension of contracts with the same pay, or reduction of salary if it is reviewed. Are we going up or coming down? Nigeria Labour is not active. They should be up to their responsibilities and stop being influenced to keep quiet when the masses are suffering.

these foreigners are jst goin by wat is obtainable in dis country.a govt dat is findin it hard to pay d minimum wage of 18ki bet dey tink dey r doin a favour wit d 40k.if the govt treats its citizens like kings,den indians(of all people) wouldnt dare to wat dey r doin 2 our able workforce and pls dont talk abt d NCC cos they really dont give a hoot abt wat the situation is(n u all kno y).the average Nigerian jst cares abt wat he can get and to hell with the rest of us, u n i are guilty of dis. unless, we learn to start treatin ourselves right, dogs will continue to shit on our faces.

This complaint need to be looked into. This may be a genuine case of inhuman working condition.

Nonetheless, i strongly blame the government that has perpetually failed in its assignment to the citizenry!

barazana:

these foreigners are jst goin by wat is obtainable in dis country.a govt dat is findin it hard to pay d minimum wage of 18ki bet dey tink dey r doin a favour wit d 40k.if the govt treats its citizens like kings,den indians(of all people) wouldnt dare to wat dey r doin 2 our able workforce and pls dont talk abt d NCC cos they really dont give a hoot abt wat the situation is(n u all kno y).the average Nigerian jst cares abt wat he can get and to hell with the rest of us, u n i are guilty of dis. unless, we learn to start treatin ourselves right, dogs will continue to poo on our faces.

Most sensible and logical post here

i have a good number of friends experiencing what the poster said. This just bad, our gov should come to the aid of these fellows, broad day light slavery.