New mobile alliance for ten African states

Details: Alec Barton; Category: Trends & Forecasts; 12 April 2006; 9547 views

UNI Telecom Global Union, in conjunction with UNI-Africa and the AFL-CIO Solidarity centre, has launched a UNI Mobile Telephone Networks Union Alliance with membership from communications unions in 10 African countries where the South African cellular network operates...

UNI Telecom Global Union, in conjunction with UNI-Africa and the AFL-CIO Solidarity centre, has launched a UNI Mobile Telephone Networks (MTN) Union Alliance with membership from communications unions in 10 African countries where the South African cellular network operates. At the meeting in Lagos, Nigeria the UNI-affiliated unions formally launched the UNI MTN Union Alliance whose work will be to cooperate and work towards concluding a global framework agreement with the company. The Alliance will be chaired by the Communication Workers Union of South Africa.

The MTN Group is a South African cellular network operator that has operations in Botswana , Cameroon , Congo-Brazzaville, Cote d'Ivoire , Nigeria , Rwanda , South Africa , Swaziland , Uganda and Zambia . Its subscriber base in Africa stands at over 23 million and has just recently expanded outside Africa by acquiring IranCell in Iran .

UNI-Africa Regional Secretary, Fackson Shamenda, praised the formation of the MTN Union Alliance as a truly African initiative in a truly African multinational company which will score a first by becoming union friendly.

MTN Nigeria Sales and Distribution Executive, Tebogo Mogapi, who was speaking on behalf of the CEO of MTN, assured UNI affiliates that the company does not have a group policy against unionism and refuted claims by unions that MTN was using various union bashing tactics aimed at preventing them from organising workers. He said the challenge lay on the respective national labour laws which left it optional for workers to join unions through the use of terms such as workers "may" join unions. He informed delegates that the CEO of MTN, "supports the UNI-Africa MTN Union Alliance as they are part of our success in the past, today and tomorrow."

Mr Mogapi said MTN was waiting to see wait what each party would bring to the table regarding the alliance as long as "it is a relation which supports our success. We are very much open to a union coming into our organisation and we have no need to fear union presence as long as we know we treat workers with respect, dignity and fairness."

The MTN Alliance is the first with an African multinational company and so far only the communications union in Zambia , NUCW, has a formal recognition agreement with the company.