The National Union of Lottery Agents and Employees (NULAE) has threatened to go on strike if the management of Premier Lotto Ltd fails to restore the parameters used by the workers to carry out their official duties.

Premier Lotto had blocked the parameters which the agents were using to discharge their duties.

The parameter is a lotto gadget that gives access to a worker to perform his or her daily duty. If it is blocked, it means that the worker has been sacked.

Mr Emeka Ekeh, Deputy General Secretary, NULAE, told NAN that principal union officers and other workers have been blocked from accessing the parameters.

“We have given the company a seven-day ultimatum that will expire tomorrow, after which the union will embark on an industrial action against the sack,’’ Ekeh said.

He recalled that on March 9, Premier Lotto had sent bulk SMS to all its agents (workers) against the union, for embracing the data capturing of its lottery agents.

According to him, the data capturing is a directive of the Federal Government through the Nigeria Lottery Commission, as a measure to sanitise the industry and attract investors.

He said that the union would not condone anti-labour activities in the company, noting that efforts to dialogue with the company had not yielded any positive results.
Ekeh cautioned that the company should restore the parameters and unblock the winning agents unconditionally, to avoid any industrial action.
NAN gathered that Premier Lotto is involved in sports betting with about 30 agents.