The staff of MTN Jos Call Centre, who were locked out of their offices by management on May 1, have vowed to remain at home until their demands are fully met.

Paul Afolabi, the leader of the workers, said that they would not listen to appeals to resume work, until a valid agreement was signed.

CNSSL, the company that MTN out sourced the call centre to manage on its behalf, closed the doors against the workers on May 1, in the pretext that they were fumigating the place.

The latest development was a new twist to the series of protests from the workers over allegations of poor conditions of service.

The NLC in March picketed the centre and entered into an agreement with CNSSL for improved conditions of service, which had not been fully implemented, resulting in the renewed agitations.

Afolabi, who is the call centre branch chairman of the National Union of Postal and Telecommunications Employees (NUPTE), said that they discovered that the company wanted to recall some staff and leave others.

He said, “On Friday we barricaded all the entrances to the call centre when we learnt that the management wanted some of the staff they believed to be loyal to them to resume work.

“When that attempt failed, they now resorted to pleading with us to resume work without any formal agreement to show that they are ready to do the things we are demanding for.”

The chairman said that it was the management that asked the staff to stay off duty and they would remain as such until their demands were met.

“Our demands are very simple, review our wages and make them to be at par with our colleagues in other call centres across the country and recall our suspended colleagues.

“We do not know the reason for the sudden desperation to call us back, but whatever reason it may be, nobody will resume until our demands are met,” Efforts to speak with the management of CNSSL proved abortive as the top officials refused to comment.