280 MTN Nigeria employees have been dismissed

It has been confirmed that Nigeria’s biggest telecom provider MTN Nigeria has dismissed some of it workers. 280 MTN Nigeria employees were let off at the end of April 2017.

MTN claims it has 19,989 workers across 24 countries. And here in Nigeria, about 1800 workers. This means that about 16% of MTN Nigeria employees were dismissed.

MTN Nigeria introduced Voluntary Severance Scheme (VSS) to its workers, but only 200 workers took opted for VSS. In addition to the 200, MTN Nigeria compulsorily dismissed 80 more of its workers.  The company claims that the cause of dismissal is to bring more professionals who will bring about a fresh angle to things, and also to give it’s retrenched employees, better opportunity to pursue other career options.

It was designed drawing on feedback from employees and following consultation with elected employees representatives. It provides a financial incentive and opportunity for employees who have worked with MTN for over 5 years to pursue other career interest and personal ambition full-time, while increasing opportunities for professionals with a fresh perspective wishing to join the MTN family. — MTN Nigeria

Is MTN Nigeria cutting its loss?

MTN Nigeria recently paid ₦30 billion, a part payment of  ₦330 billion fine which was incurred from Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC). Though, MTN claims that it has retrenched some of its workers in other to bring on board ‘professionals with a fresh perspective to join the MTN Family’. But indeed one would wonder if this is true or if MTN Nigeria has to cut-off some of its workers in order to stay afloat? ₦30 billion is a huge sum of money. And why is the dismissal coming after making a part-payment of the fine?

Tobiloba Fadoju

Writer at Techpoint.ng