Industrial Relations In Nigeria

The industrial relations system in most developing economies has undergone tremendous systematic transformation in nature and context over the last three to four decades. This, on the one hand, has been attributed to the internal political economy of the individual states. Whilst on the other, some have argued that the forces of globalization have immensely influenced the politico-economic development of nation states. In recent years, however, as part of development economics discourse aimed at understanding the trend and reason for these changes, a new emphasis has emerged dealing with economic development and labour institutions. One stream of the institutional analysis has drawn on historical evidence in order to explain the root causes

The survey included interviews with prominent stakeholders within the field of industrial relations and some major political actors. The survey revealed a serious flaw between politico and economic development, and the level of institutional participation. The lack of involvement on the part of workers representatives (trade unions) in policy formulation has severe impact on the type of policy and its implementation. Also the mistrust between government and labour movement since independence exacerbate the flaws. It is concluded that political and economic development are the root causes responsible for the worsening economic fortunes of the Nigerian workforce and that trade unions embark on social movement unionism as a means of sustaining membership with the consequence of retaining their

Liberalization of trade entails the removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers to imported goods (Lewis, 1996). Regulations that discriminate against foreign investment are also to be eliminated. It has become a standard refrain in policy circles that expanded trade holds the key to prosperity for developing countries. According to this school, if the industrialized countries would eliminate their trade barriers, especially in apparel and agriculture, this would provide a basis for growth in developing countries, pulling hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. For the monetarists, the ensuing free interplay of market forces was expected to eliminate waste, generate productive forces and foster efficiency and growth (Greenaway, 1998; Greenaway, Morgan, & Wright, 2002). More concisely, the World Bank has described the benefit of liberalization as a means to providing stimulus to new forms of productivity-enhancing specialization, and a lead to a more rapid pace of job creation and poverty reduction around the world (Bevan, Collier, & Gunning,