Members of the Telecom Engineer Workers Association have threatened to embark on a sit-down strike over what they described as poor conditions of service.
According to the group, despite several plea to management of the telcos to give them better working conditions, their demands are yet to receive attention hence their intention to embark on strike.
Speaking to the Republic Press, the workers expressed their disappointment towards management for turning death ear to their request despite risking their lives to climb long towers to fix machines and telecommunication lines for people to enjoy better services.
According to the Association, they risk their lives to climb and install service machines on high tension poles that belong to the various telecommunication networks such as Airtel-Tigo, MTN, Vodafone etc.
They said contractors who negotiate the contracts on their behalf fail to give them the expected amount of money they are supposed to be paid for work done.
Adding to their plight, the acting Chairman of the group, Mr. Norris Yeboah, said any time the engineers complain of poor conditions of service and increment, they are threatened to be replaced by their Nigerian counterparts by management.
Mr. Yeboah, however, pleaded with the authorities to as a matter of urgency give them better working conditions in other to stay in the business.
“The money they pay us can nowhere be compared to the risk we go through before work is done so what we are asking for is for them to give us risk allowances,” he stated.
He said our situation is likened to ‘Monkey Dey Work Baboon Dey Chop,’ “we are really suffering because they fail to give us what we deserve.”
“The most painful part of the whole situation is that management of these Telcos refuse to pay for our insurance, SSNIT contributions and others and whenever you complain, you will immediately be sacked,” he lamented.
