IMPACT OF STRIKE ACTION IN THE ACHIEVEMENT OF TRADE UNION AIMS IN AN ORGANIZATION (A CASE STUDY OF NUT)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The early 70’s saw and witnesses the end of political crisis and at its time organized labour which was put into the coffin during the civil war was once released free its dilemma of whether or not to forget industrial action in the life rest national security. With the civil war, labour militate its demand for improvement in the wage structure and other condition of employment throughout the country. Workers protest coupled with the government growing realization of the poor economic states of the working class ultimately led to the establishment of certain commission like the Adebo commission.

Since 1970 to the present time, workers demand have increased could not satisfy the needs of the employees in the faces of the economics recession which employees force management to access to their demand. In this study, however, we are going to examine the cause of strike, its consequences and effectiveness as a weapon of trade union in achieving their aims. Mention of course would briefly be make of the history and development of trade unionism in Nigeria.

Strike as defined by section 37 (1) of trade dispute Act No 7, 1976 is a cessation of work by a body of employed persons acting in combination or a concerned refusal under a common understanding of any number of employed persons to continue to work for an employer inconsequence of a dispute, done as a means of compelling their employer on any person or body persons employed to aid other workers.

As its stand, that force, strike is one word that torn the flesh of management: each time as strike occurs, substantial out is lost during the first general strike of 1945, 1993 (Asu strike Jan. 2000 (NLC strike) when the government disagreed with civil servant wages and allowances about thirty working day were lost. Output dropped substantial, as a re-question government had to  upgrade salaries in a bid to resolve between 1980, 82, 1993 and 1999 to zoo respectively there was a spot of industrial  and trade disputes and work stoppages in the country requiting in a high loss in man hours and productivity. This spate of industrial unrest was evidently result of lack of adequate attention to the human labour in business organization. There has been giant sagging the fact that a human factor is of paramount importance in industry, commercial and the civil service.

The management pre-occupation with maximizing profit has always made them to pay little or no attention to the human factor in the organization. This relegation of the human factors to the background by management has been a serious but latent cause of increase in strike action on with its resultant consequences. It is the purpose of this work to probe into this and acquaint the management with the tools for combating this hydra headed monster.

1.2     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The unstable industrial related climate in Nigeria, just within the last decade has resulted in all time record of cost working hours, unprecedented work stoppages as a result of strike.

In the first six months of the year 1982, Nigeria lost a total of 4, 598 man-hours, because of strike actions by workers. This represented a 342% increase in the five cost during the first half of 1959 and is even more than 100% higher than the 2,244, 984 man-hours. Besides these  alarming strike occurrence. There are many others in the hundred of reported officially. Four is against this background that this research effort is consummated, with the definite mission of providing answers to the following questions:

1.       Are such trade disputes and industrial unrest as a rest of unsettled grievance.

2.       What chances exit for handling the grievance.

3.       If strike occurs, what are the procedures for setting them.

4.       Is strike the only effective means of achieving union aims.

1.3     PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study is to probe into the effectiveness of strike actions as a means of achieving union aims from management. The study is based on a case study of the Nigeria union of teachers (NUT) Enugu state.

Precisely, the study is focused on the  following issues, tools for achieving union demand from management strike as a major tool on achieving union aim the effectiveness of strike action in achieving union aim measured against the regular occurrence of strike actions. The recommendations which will be based mainly on the findings of this research will be if implemented straighten the effectiveness of strike action as means of achieving union aims. If on the other hand the study suggest a better way of achieving union aims than strike then of cause that mentioned will be recommended.

1.4     SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study to cover the general affairs of the union as regards to the strengths, weakness, opportunity and threat in which the research is based on Nigeria union of teachers Enugu.

The research is conducted to cover and improve the management of the organization on towards Nigeria union of teachers generally. The research is conducted to cover and improve the management of the organization on towards Nigeria union of teachers generally.

1.5     RESEARCH QUESTION

1.       What benefits have you derived by belonging to union.

1. Do you think you should achieve your aim even in a non-unionized group?

3.       Has strike action helped your union to obtain its demand from management?

4.       What do you consider to be the most effective way of setting a strike action when it occurs?

  5.     What are the effect of strike action on achieving economic growth.

1.6     RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

Ho:    Strike action does not help in achieving union aims.

Hi:     Strike action help in achieving union aims.

Ho:    Strike action discourages economic growth.

Hi:     Strike action encourages economic growth.

Ho:    Constitutionally laid down procedure is not the most effective means of setting action.

Hi:     Constitutionally laid down procedure is the most effective means of setting action.

1.7. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study is intended to help union members of any established organization either public or private toward realizing the importance of well organized strike action that will bring about growth on the organization. It also will help government parastatals towards solving employee grievances and strike action. Teachers in particular will benefit immensely for this work as Nigeria union of teachers was used as the case study. It will help them to know their legitimate rights as employees and how to institute strike as a tool of compelling government  to implement certain welfare practices that will boost their moral towards work.

In Nigeria of today, both private and public organization are facing a lot of problems owing to strike action by workers or employees. This has inevitably rescued to low productivity in most firms and to some it has been of great employer as confusion is always the resultant effect, this work will therefore be of great important to the employees and employers on the private sector of the economy.  Student who want to do a further research on this topic can also benefits from this study. Even during assignment and research findings any student that lays his or her hand in this work will improve academically.

1.8     LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

It is contact that in a research study like this, it is always difficult to cover all possible grounds one would wish to. There are a number of factors which constitute impediment to this accomplishment. First among these factors is time, the short period that is required to accomplish and submit this work, coupled with the time spent on other courses gave me the highest trouble and hindered me to an extent a more elaborate search into the study.

Again, the  data gathering for writing this research paper was being carried on at this time, the Nigeria union of teachers is facing a hard time   of non-payment of salaries. This created a great problem of administering the questionnaire to the respondents, thus it was not possible to collect as much information as one had wished.

Finally, finance was my greatest constraints thus it was not possible for me to get at many schools so as to get a more valid information nevertheless, the research purpose were moderately accomplished not in the least be cause of these problems but largely in spite of them.

1.9     DEFINITIONS OF TERMS

There are some terms that is being used here in this work that I will like to explain more 80 as to enable every body that comes across this work to understand it better.

1.       STRIKE-   I is a cessation of work by a body of employed persons acting in combination or a concerned refusal under a common understanding of any number of employed persons to continue to work for an employer in consequence of a dispute done as a means of compelling their employer on any person or body of persons employed to aid other workers.

2.      GRIEVANCE-    This means real or imagined case for compliant or protest.

3.       TRADE DISPUTE-      It means debating, arguing and quarreling in words when buying and selling of goods or services, exchange of goods for money or other goods.

4.       ECONOMIC GROWTH-      It means designed to give a profit in the science of production distribution and consumption of goods condition of a country as to material prosperity.

REFERENCES

John U. Ozo Et Al (1999) Introduction to Project Writing for Business and Financial Studies Enugu Sunny Enterprises.

T.M Yusuf (1982), The Nigeria Experience in the Dynamics of Industrial  Relations, Ibadan University Press Limited.

Studies in Personnel Policies (1961) The National Industrial Conference Board.