Staff of Huawei, a Chinese IT company operating in Nigeria have lamented how poor the working conditions of the company despite getting special recognition by the Federal Government for the advancement of ICT in the country.
“There are more contract staff members than there are permanent staff members at the Huawei office in Lagos. I can say we constitute about 70 percent of the entire staff roaster, The truth is, they don’t treat us like we are graduates and experts at Huawei. They treat us like we are illiterates.” Said, a staff who pleaded to remain anonymous.
“We are always at the mercy of our bosses because promotion doesn’t come easy, unlike what the permanent staff workers are used to enjoying on a yearly basis.Presently, we have employees who have spent eight years in the same position, just because they are non-permanent staff members. Rather than promote them, or organise conversion tests for them, they employ new permanent staff members from outside and train them.”
The anonymous employee also lamented the company’s refusal to enable them work from home considering the recent hike in transportation costs.
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“Because of the recent hike in transportation, some of us have found it difficult to come to work regularly. Some people now get to sleep at the office because they cannot afford to go home every day,” he said
Despite working in an environment that is rife with uncertainty, difficulty in climbing up the career ladder and with conditions that are unfavorable, these affected contract staff members believe that quitting their jobs isn’t an option.
“There are not many other places you can be employed as a front office or transmissions engineer in this country,” Doja (not real name), another contract staff member at Huawei, told FIJ.
Despite the fact the Chinese company which began operating in the country in 2000 prefers to have more of outsourced staff than permanent ones, it has been gathered that the salaries of the contract staff earn wat lower salaries that their counterparts who have permanent employment.
“The pay for entry level contract staff front office engineer is N120,000 after tax deduction, while that of entry level permanent staff engineer is N450,000. The difference is huge,” I believe they think less of us as outsourced FO engineers. We are as qualified as the graduate trainees they have.We are equally graduates and professionals in our respective fields, but they treat us like we are illiterates.”, said Doja (not his real name)
“We’ve been asking for additional pay since the end of COVID. It’s now worse because of the cost of transportation. Many of us cannot even afford going to the office steadily anymore.” He lamented.
Meanwhile, a full time staff with Huawei has said that though people who play the same role as hers in other countries are paid more, she is quite comfortable with what she takes home at the end of the month.
“In South Africa for one, managerial staff do not get as low as I do, using the dollar as a standard. But I think I am relatively okay with it. Na Naija we dey, and I didn’t get this job on a platter, you know,” Mide told a staff of the Foundation For Institite Of Journalism FIJ on phone.
An average front office engineers in the United States of America takes home betweenn $5,000 and $6,000 a month as basic salary.
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