CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The management of remuneration policies is faced with economic problems in which created a lot of problems in management labour relation in most situations, the unions are being asked to make choice between two desirable alternatives either to accept or reduce workforce in the local government. The economic has reduce the bargaining power of unions and this has made the union leaders to spend substantial amount of time and effort in persuading employers to maintain their working conditions. The idea of choosing between the two alternatives or more appropriately on trade off is a phenomenon which is referred to as a concession bargaining. Basically the union and its members are made to agree to either to allow wage increase or even reducing existing level and adjust other working conditions.
According to Lawrence (1985) “Remuneration is defined as the cost of employing people which include salaries and wages, taxes, insurance, pension, the cost of department whose work is largely concerned with personnel. Remuneration is of utmost important to both the management of a local government employer and employees. Also the method of payment should be affair and afford the maximum possible satisfaction to employees and employers of local government. The nature of the organization work or relative work of job will go a long way in determining her remuneration. If the employees are not well remunerated, it might led to high turnover and also employees will not put in their best in the organization. Employer or individual has to be provided with an opportunity to realize his or her own potential. Hence, the effectiveness of an organization is ultimately determined by the degrees to which it helps its members to achieve their individual objectives. It is therefore obvious that he major problem facing a local government in Nigeria today is how they remunerate their employees towards high performance. This has created a lot of problems in the management of human resources in diverse local governments in Nigeria. As a result of poor remuneration , employees in the public sectors and the local government have developed several unethical behaviour which have adverse effects on their productivity in the organization and the local government.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS
Poor remuneration has been the problem of public organizations in Nigeria, most especially in the local government system. Workers in the various local governments suffer a lot of hardship as a result of poor remuneration. An average local government staff cannot afford what it takes to live a decent in this 21st century as what he or she takes home as a salary is nothing to write home about. This abysmal situation results in scenarios where poor productivity becomes inevitable to the local government workers in search of what to do to earn a living. Local government workers abandoned their duty post and engage themselves in other business. They exhibit lackadaisical attitude toward their jobs as they imbibe such negative work habits as lateness to work, absenteeism, loitering, alcoholism and socialism on duty, laziness and lack of interest in their job.
Today negative work ethics of social, moral, psychological and administrative dimensions reign supreme in the local government system.
In view of the foregoing discussion, this study attempts to provide answers to the following questions.
What are the courses of poor remuneration in Nigeria local government?
What are effects of poor remuneration in Nigeria local government administration?
What are the remedies for poor remuneration in Nigeria local government?
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The general objective of this study is to examine how poor remuneration system in Nigeria local government affects productivity of their staff with special reference to Deknia local government area, Kogi state. In specific terms this is aimed at:
To identify the course of poor remuneration to the employees in Nigeria local government administration.
To examine the effects of poor remuneration on workers’ productivity in the Nigeria local government
To recommend ways to improve the poor remuneration and employees productivity in the Nigeria local government administration.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The sole aim or essence of any research is to find out fact, in this project all the facts being gathered by the researcher will be of tremendous help and it will serve as guides not only to the management of the local government administration but also to the staff of the local government as well.
Secondly, it helps the management to discover any area of dissatisfaction of their workers in the local government.
Thirdly, it will help to examine the causes of poor remuneration to workers in the local government and also the strategic policy to be used by the management of the local government to overcome its poor remuneration.