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AN INVESTIGATION OF THE CAUSES OF STRIKE AND ITS EFFECT ON STUDENTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Strike action also called labour strike or industrial, action is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employee(s) to work. A strike usually takes place in respond to employee grievances. ·Strike 'became important during the Industrial Revolution, when mass labour became important in factories and mines. In most countries, they were quietly made illegal, as factory owners had far more political power than workers. Most western countries partially legalize striking in the late 19th or early 20th centuries.

Strikes are sometimes used to put pressure on government to change polices. Occasionally, strike destabilizes the rule of a particular political party or ruler. In such cases, strikes are often part of a broader social movement taking the form of a campaign of civil resistance. A notable example is the stoppage of work by the indigenous railways workers in (1932) led by Pa Michael Imodu during the colonial era and the first general strike of (1945) in Nigeria.

Since 1970 to present time, workers demand for improved condition of work and wages have increased the number of strike actions as management most times would not accurately satisfy the needs and requests of employees even in the face of economic recession.

In this study, however, we are going to examine the causes of strike, i.e. consequences and impact in the achievement of trade union objectives.

Strikes are the most significant aspect of industrial conflict. Strike is defined as the temporary stoppage of work in the pursuance of grievance or demand. In practice however, 'it has been difficult to separate strike from other forms of expression of industrial dispute as employer lock out workers and workers themselves embark on strike action.

It is more useful to view both phenomena as part and parcel of the conflict situation, not as opposite. Rarely does a strike occur over a single issue for an obvious cause may be linked with several other issues that not immediately apparent to the observation that have caused dissatisfaction because solutions to them have been long in coming. The actual occurrence of strike depends on several factors including prevailing circumstances. This also goes to show that few strikes occur spontaneously especially as there is no way of guaranteeing that strike actions instead of the other forms of industrial action would be decided upon by workers Involved.

Each time strike occurs substantial man - hour is lost, a good example is the first general strike of (1945), the (1993) ASU strike where universities in the country was closed for couple of months thereby causing set back in the tertiary institution. The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, the two major umbrella bodies of workers union in Nigeria mobilized workers for an indefinite strike action which commenced on Monday, 9th January, 2012 to drive home the protest against the fuel subsidy removal of January 1st 2012. The government of Nigeria removed fuel subsidy by increasing the price of petrol per litre from N65 to N141 on January 1st 2012.

This nationwide strike affected the country's economy negatively where the volume of trading on the floor of the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) fell by 82 percent, local flights were grounded, and lifting of crude oil was hampered. The strike had a lot of effect on the major sector of the economy as activities of the, (NSE) that are trading slumped by 80%, while banks complied with the strike order and closed shop, the NSE opened for business as usual. But at close of trading, only 46.06 million shares were traded in 20 deals.

This is a significant reduction when compared with an average 262 million shares worth about N1.05 billion traded in 2,509 deals the previous week. The Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC) has led a number of general strikes in the past to mention a few. In 2004, the Nigeria Labour Congress gave the Federal government an ultimatum to reverse the decision to introduce the controversial fuel tax or force a nationwide protest strike. The strike threat was made despite the fact that the Federal High Court judgment in an earlier dispute had declared the organization lacking legal power to call a general strike over government policies.

It is in this context that the research wishes to access the impact of strike action on the achievement of trade union objectives in both private and public sectors in Nigeria and how management policies/decisions are influenced by workers through the representatives (trade union) to the effect of harmonizing management polices with trade union objectives enhancing efficiency as well as maintain good industrial relation peace and harmony in the work place using.

1.2     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The unstable industrial relation climate in Nigeria just within the decades has resulted in all-time record of lost working hours, unprecedented work stoppage as a result of strike action.

By October 1981,both federal and state government were broke, by December, seven out of the nineteen state governments could hardly pay the salaries of their employees; by June 1982,Bendel,Rivers,Cross Rivers, Benue and Imo States were owing teachers two to four months arrears. It was only when junior workers threatened strike action in Cross River state and teachers actually abandoned classes in Bendel State after not receiving January salaries as at April 1982 that both government cleared part of the outstanding amount .

In the first six months of the year 1982, Nigeria lost a total of 4,598 man- hours because of strike action by workers. The recent strike action embarked by Nigeria Labour Congress inJanuary, 2012 has cost the country millions of naira as all the sectors of the economy which engage in productivity activities in order to boost the gross domestic product of the economy were closed down for couples of days.

1.3     PURPOSE OF STUDY

The purpose of this study is to probe into the effectiveness of an investigation of causes of strike objectives from the management. This study is based on a case study of LAGOS STATE UNIVERSITY.

Precisely, the study is focused on following issues, "tools' for achieving union demands from management using strike as the major tools in achieving union objectives.

The recommendation which will be based mainly on the findings of the research will be implemented to strengthen the effectiveness of strike action as means of achieving union objectives. If on the other hand, the study suggest a better way of achieving union aims than strike, then of course the mentored will be recommended.

1.4     SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The research work focuses particularly on and investigation of causes of strike. The research is conducted to 'cover and improve the management of organization focusing on the LAGOS STATE UNIVERSITY. For this reason therefore, the researcher has consulted several reviews, on issues of strike and trade union to include text books industrial relation, management, social sciences. dissertations from academicians on related issues, Newspaper edits journal etc. the work would be very large if all the argument of the different authors are presented but they have been carefully selected so that only issues particularly concentrating on the impact of strikes on the achievement of education objectives are considered.

1.5     LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

A work of this nature is not easy to accomplish for its wide scope and for the expense it would involve such as financial problems, time constraint, material cost, apathy on the part of respondent and bureaucratic procedure involved in releasing data in the institution of my case study. The research would have been more expensive and capital intensive if it were to cover all universities, but it is limited to Lagos State University as the case study.

1.6     RESEACH QUESTIONS

1.                 What is the perception of an average university student about ASUU strike action?

2.                 How does the strike action by ASUU affect students' academic performance?

3.                What are the possible ways of minimizing the effects of ASUU strike on student's academic performance?

4.                What can be done by government to reduce the incessant strike action to the barest minimum?

1.7      RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

The researcher formulates the following hypothesis based on the objectives and problems identified for the purpose of this research work stating them in both Null and alternate forms.

1.             Ho: institution objectives are low where there is a strong and viable trade union.

H1: Institution objectives are high where there is a strong and viable trade union.

2.             Ho: Trade union and management do not co-operate to raise organizational objectives

H1: Trade union and management co-operate to raise organizational objectives

3.              Ho: There is no significant relationship between the activities of trade union and organizational objectives.

H1: There is a significant relationship between the activities of trade union and organizational objectives.

4.             Ho: Unstable union- management relationship has no significant effect on the organizational objective

H1: Unstable union- management relationship has significant effect on the organizational objective

1.8     SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This research work will be relevant to institutions and students.

It will be beneficial to other public sectors in Nigeria; it will also be of importance to government, academicians, potential and future researchers on the issue of the impact of strike action on the achievement of trade union objectives in an institution. This empirical study is also important for the reward of Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) in Guidance and Counseling.

The study will also identify how institutions and union can co­operate to enhance the achievement of educational objectives in an institution. It will provide a basis for trade union re­orientation objectives are achieved for better and harmonious institutional relationship. It will also provide a frame work for management and union to relate for achievement of educational goals.

1.9     DEFINITION OF TERMS

STRIKE: Strike is defined as a temporary stoppage of work in the pursuance of a grievance or demand.

TRADE UNION: Is a combination of workers who are wages or salary earners form for the purpose of regulating work terms and condition for maintenance and improving the employment condition of their members.

WORKING CONDITION: A comfortable environment (condition of staff offices and lecture hall, laboratory rooms and equipment, field and sports equipment, temperature and humidity, cleanliness, comfort and safety (of floors, classrooms and so fort) and efficiency (steady product flow, adequate wage and salary, performance approval, incentive, motivation and welfare services.

GRIEVANCE: situation of dissatisfaction, on the part of the workers of the institution.

EMPLOYEE: Refers to worker(s), person(s) responsible for carrying out day to day activities of the organization toward achieving the target goals.

EMPLOYER: Refers to the management board, one who engages human and material resources for the production of goods and services.

MANAGEMENT: Refers in this study to be the government, states government, body employer and its representatives, head of departments and supervisors inclusive.

DISPUTE: Is any argument or disagreement between employer and workers, or between workers and workers which is concerned with the employment and non-employment conditions of work of any person.

WORK: This implies any kind of purposive action i.e. whether paid or unpaid, full time or part time, formal or informal with reference to an organization; it used to imply the operation involved in a particular job or work.

ORGANIZATION: A group of people brought together for the purpose of achieving certain objectives, while these members may change the role of organization which is its basic unit is maintained.

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