Nigerian telecom engineers have accused Huawei of labor law violations, citing poor working conditions, stagnant salaries, and lack of welfare benefits. The engineers have called for an investigation into Huawei’s practices.

Nigerian telecom engineers have launched a social media protest accusing Huawei of violating labor laws and exploiting workers.

The engineers claim that they face poor working conditions, stagnant salaries, and lack of essential welfare benefits.

Also read: Nigeria Secures Hosting Rights for UN Tourism Commission for Africa

The protest featured placards with messages such as “MTN/Airtel, stop using Huawei to enslave us” and “No pension scheme, poor HMO, no to work threat.”

The key grievances include:

Stagnant Salaries: Engineers reported receiving less than $100 per month despite working 24 hours a day, seven days a week without annual leave.

Lack of Operational Tools: Workers complained about the absence of essential tools like vehicles and laptops.

No Pension Scheme: There is no pension provision for the engineers.

Poor Healthcare: The lack of adequate healthcare and personal protective equipment (PPE) was highlighted.

Inadequate Risk Allowances: Rigorous tasks are performed without proper risk allowances or compensation.

The protest has also brought to light the neglect of operational data and phone call credits, which are critical for the engineers’ daily tasks.

Despite attempts to obtain a response from Huawei, MTN, and Airtel, there has been no official statement from the companies.

The engineers have called on Nigeria’s Ministry of Labour to investigate the issue and ensure that workers’ rights are upheld.

Nigerian telecom engineers accuse Huawei of labour violations pic.twitter.com/Bbpq2SMCsG

— Otunba Victor (@freelanews) September 12, 2024