STRIKE ACTION AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS IN ACHIEVING UNION AIMS (A CASE STUDY OF NIGERIAN UNION OF TEACHERS)

STRIKE ACTION AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS IN ACHIEVING UNION AIMS (A CASE STUDY OF NIGERIAN UNION OF TEACHERS)

ABSTRACT

This project work deals with the strike action and its effectiveness in achieving union aims (A case study of Nigerian union of Teachers).  The unsuited in an all times record of cost working hours, unprecedented spate of strike.

The study is focused on the following issues:

1.                  To identify the causes of trade dispute

2.                  To find out if strike is the major tools for achieving union aims

3.                  And the effectiveness of strike action in achieving unions aims

This project also discussed the early stages and development of trade unions, legal provisions on union versus employers and the evaluation of strike as one of the tools of trade union in achieving their aims from management.

Furthermore, the political, social and economic implications of strike and the various strikes embarked upon by NUT were also discussed.

The third chapter covers the design of the study, population selection and sample size determination.  Also are the questionnaires design, research procedure and the method of treatment of data.

The data collected were presented and analyzed in chapter four in analysis, the secondary data were analyzed first using the chi-square method.  This was followed by the testing of the hypothesis.

The following findings were discovered in the study.

1.                  The most frequent causes of strike is grievances relating to seniority, promotion and training problems.

2.                  Strike action is highly effective in a unionized group

3.                  The most effective weapon the unions uses in achieving its aims is joint consultation

4.                  The major draw back of strike is that of cooperation among members.

Finally, based on the finding, the following conclusions, and recommendations were made.

1.                  The management should try to reduce the air of dispute arising in the form by trying to avert the caused of dispute which are likely to occur.

2.                  More effort should be made to integrate the whole members of the plant into the union and make them recognize the need of collective bargaining.

3.                  Joint consultation should be reasserted to when disputed arises and where a strike is inevitable, the necessary steps of resolving it must be met.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1              BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Trade disputes (emergency provisions) decree, 1968 defined strike as meaning the cessation of work by a body of persons employed action in combination, or a concerted refusal or a refusal under a common understanding of any number of persons employed to continue to work for an employer in consequence of a dispute, done as a means of compelling their employer to accept or not to accept term of employment and physical conditions of work.

Therefore, strike is one word that is thorn in the flesh of management.  Each time the organized labour embarked on any strike, substantial output is lost.  For instance, during the first general strike of 1949 and 1993 (Asu strike) when the government disagreed with civil servants on wags and allowance, about 30 working days were lost.  Output dropped substantially as a result government had to increase or enhanced their welfare packages in a bid to resolve the crisis.

STRIKE ACTION AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS IN ACHIEVING UNION AIMS (A CASE STUDY OF NIGERIAN UNION OF TEACHERS)