CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
OF THE STUDY
Industrial relations is a multidisciplinary
field that studies the employment relationship. Industrial relations is
increasingly being called employment relations because of the importance of
non-industrial employment relationships. Many outsiders also equate industrial
relations to labour relations and believe that industrial relations only
studies unionized employment situations, but this is an oversimplification
(Ackers, Peter, 2002).
Industrial relations has its roots in the
industrial revolution which created the modern employment relationship by
spawning free labour markets and large-scale industrial organizations with
thousands of wage workers. As society wrestled with these massive economic and
social changes, labour problems arose. Low wages, long working hours,
monotonous and dangerous work, and abusive supervisory practices led to high
employee turnover, violent strikes and the threat of social instability.
Intellectually, industrial relations was formed at the end of the 19th
century as a middle ground between classical economics and Marxism, with Sidney
Webb and Beatrice Webb’s Industrial Democracy (1897) being the key intellectual
work. Industrial relations thus rejected the classical economics
(www.wikipedia.org).
According to Englama (2001), industrial
relations refers to the combination of interactions that take place between the
employee and employer in an organization. He believed that the fundamental
problem in all organization, whether business, educational, local or national,
was in developing and maintaining a dynamic and harmonious relationship in the
workplace. To achieve this, group dynamics, policy making by consultation,
diffusion of authority, delegation, vertical and horizontal communication have
to be ushered in.
In more recent time industrial relations have
been influenced by other social sciences such as organizational psychology and
behaviour. Traditionally, economics and law were two main influences on
industrial relations, which led to a concentration on macro level industrials
relations, and therefore on unions, government and collective bargaining.
Paradoxically, industrial relations, though dealing with “relation” has until
recently largely ignored the social science sciences relevant to behaviour and
human relations. While labour problems are the result of imperfections in the
employment relationship, industrial relations should be seen as the theories
and methods which have been developed over time to address and correct these
problems, in both public and private sector of the economy.
The essence of good industrial relation lies
in the bringing up of good labour relations which gives a forum to understand
each other (employer, employee) properly. Creates cooperative thinking and
working to achieve the goal of the organization. A good industrial relation
increases the morale of employees and encourages them to give their maximum
effort. Each thinks of their mutual interest which paves way for introduction
of new methods, developments and leading to adoption of modern technology,
thereby increasing the industry’s organizational effectiveness in the long run.
Good industrial relations increases production, improves quality of work and
product and efficiency of workers are increased.
Organizational effectiveness is the measures
of how successful organizations achieve their missions through their core
strategies. Organizational effectiveness studies are concerned with the unique
capabilities that organizations develop to assure that success (McCann, 2004).
Industrial relations and organizational effectiveness share a common feature,
which is that they are both internalized within the organization. The resulting
correlation between the two is that, a good industrial relations system would
invariably breed and improve organizational effectiveness, thereby making
organizational effectiveness dependent on good industrial relations. Thus, the
study focuses on achieving organizational effectiveness through sound
industrial relations.
1.2
STATEMENT OF THE
PROBLEM
One major reason for the incessant
industrial actions in Nigeria today is
due to lack of good salary review policy that would be in line with changes in
some macroeconomic factors such as prices of goods and services, and inflation.
Prices of goods and services continue to increase everyday while the review of
public sector employee’s salaries are only considered years after negotiations
and industrial actions. An application of effective industrial relation
practices would ensure an established way of reviewing workers salaries in line
with changes in the economy.
Over the years, Nigeria has witnessed
protests and industrial actions by the public employees through their various
labour unions over the non-implementation of agreed policies. Such incidents
could be avoided if the government sincerely applies effective industrial
relation practices.
Economic
reforms and the quest for organizational effectiveness in the public
administration, calls for collective bargaining of a good compensation plan/policy
which includes better
working conditions and motivational incentives in the public sector of Nigeria.
Efforts to achieve this had led to protracted industrial actions and low morale
of employees in the public sector today.
Another issue affecting the organizational
effectiveness of the public sector is governments’ continuous insensitivity and
insincerity to policies directly or indirectly affecting the public employees
and its lackadaisical approach towards addressing these issues. Thus, the study
focuses on achieving organizational effectiveness through effective industrial
relations.
1.3
OBJECTIVES OF THE
STUDY
The specific objectives of the study include
the following:
(1)
To identify the industrial relations process of the Nigerian public
sector.
(2)
To determine how to improve on the industrial relation’s process of the
public sector.
(3)
To identity the benefits derived from effective industrial relations.
(4)
To identify the strategies that could be used to manage industrial
relations conflicts.
1.4
RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
The following questions will be addressed in
this study;
(1)
What are the industrial relations process of the Nigerian public sector?
(2)
How can the industrial relation’s process of the Nigerian public sector
be improved upon?
(3)
What are the benefits obtainable from effective industrial relations?
(4)
What are the strategies that could be used to manage industrial
relation’s conflicts?
1.5
RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
The following hypotheses are put forward for
this study:
1.
Ho: Industrial relations process in the Nigerian public sector
does not include collective
bargaining, negotiations, mediation and
arbitration.
Hi: Industrial relations
process in the Nigerian public sector includes collective bargaining,
negotiations, mediation and arbitration.
2.
Ho: Decentralizing
collective bargaining and practicing true Federalism will not improve industrial relations process in the
public sector.
Hi: Decentralizing
collective bargaining and practicing true Federalism will improve industrial
relations process in the public sector.
3.
Ho: Industrial
harmony and organizations effectiveness are not attributed to effective
industrial relations.
Hi: Industrial
harmony and organizational effectiveness are attributed to effective industrial
relations.
4.
Ho: Collaboration
and compromise cannot be used to manage
industrial relations conflicts.
Hi: Collaboration and compromise can be used
to manage industrial relations conflicts.
1.6
SCOPE OF THE
STUDY
This study will examine the major issues
affecting labour relations with regards to the Nigerian public sector, with
focus on the public sector in Enugu State. The
research would cover topics of interests such as definitions and theoretical
perspectives of industrial relations, elements and importance of a sound
industrial relations system, trade unions and their functions, principles of
collective bargaining and decentralizing collective bargaining in the public
sector. The study would also look at the role of the government in industrial
relations dispute resolution and the labour reforms in Nigeria.
1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
This study has the following constraints.
Time
The researcher does not have sufficient time
to carry out this study. There was constraint of time in going to places where
data and information relevant to the study could be obtained.
Finance
Such an empirical research demands much money
for its successful completion. Much money was required to cover transportation
costs and materials used for the study.
Attitude
of the Respondents
Some of the respondents were unwilling to
corporate with the researcher because they felt they would not benefit from the
study and equally have the mindset that the secret of the organization will be
exposed.
1.8
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE
STUDY
The study is significant to the government as
it formulates labour reforms and policies that would be widely accepted and
would be of international standards in the country. It would also enable the
government promote industrial harmony between the government and its employees.
The study will also be significant to the various trade unions in the country
as it would educate its members and leaders on the principles and practices of
collective bargaining in the public sector.
To a large extent, the study will be of
immense benefit to all stakeholders in the public sector, as it would suggest
ways on how to address or avoid industrial conflicts.
REFERENCES
Ackers, P. (2002), “Reframing Employment
Relations: The Case for Neo-Pluralism”, Industrial
Relations Journal.
Englama, A. (2001), “Unemployment Concepts and Issues”, Bullion, Central Bank of
Nigeria, Oct./December.
Industrial Relations – www.wikipedia.org.
Industrial Relations Management-
www.citehr.com/industrial-relations-management
McCann, J. E. and Buckner, M. (2004),
“Strategically Integrating Knowledge Management Initiative” Journal of Knowledge Management; Vol. 8.
