ENHANCING THE ORGANIZATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH EFFECTIVE INDUSTRIAL RELATION

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study

The industrial relations has become formalized in the form of employment contract between the workers and the employer. The parties were seen as equal, who has invested his capital aims at maximizing profits. The workers on the other hand contributes his services which if not remunerated falls into object poverty dies.

According to Fajana(2000), industrial relation as a discipline which is concerned with the systematic study of all respects of the employment relationship.

Armstrong (1980) sees industrial relations as the inter-twinning activities of the workers management and government for the better working conditions.

Armstrong (2002), defines industrial relations as the network of social relationship between the employees and their unions, employers and their associations and government and their numerous agencies in their attempts to regulate terms and conditions of employment and perform other functions that directly or indirectly concern the initiation and sustenance of peaceful and purposeful labour management relations which involve applying machinery dealing with complaints, grievance and disputes in an organization.

In the Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Industrial relations deals with everything that affects the relationship between workers and employers, perhaps from the time the employee join the work in federal polytechnic until the time he leaves his job. The federal polytechnic Nekede is a corporate organization, therefore in real terms industrial relation in the institution is the regulation of employment relations by the employers management or their organization, the workers organization and the third party, private and government acting as an umpire of a controller the purpose of which is joint decision making for establishing job rules and the job values and for co-operation of manpower resources for the attainment of the organizational objectives of the enterprises, the trade union and of course the state.

Federal polytechnic Nekede industrial relation is the one that includes the study of trade unions, management or employers associations and the public bodies concerned with the regulation of employment. Each of the unions in federal polytechnic Nekede have their own power authority and invested interest. They also have industrial democracy, conflict resolution and collective bargaining in solving problems between management and the workers. The industrial unions in federal polytechnic Nekede is made up of academic staff union of polytechnic (ASUP), Non-Academic staff union (NASU) and senior staff association of Nigerian institution of polytechnic (SSANIP).

The federal polytechnic Nekede was initially established as the college of technology, Owerri by edit No 1 dated 1st April 1978. It was situated at the Government Technical College (GTC) Owerri premises along Egbu Road Owerri. In 1987, it was renamed, the polytechnic Nekede by the IMO State Government.

The institution was taken over in April 1993 by the federal Government of Nigeria and it is how governed by the federal polytechnic act.

The Rector is seen as the chief executive of the institution with other principal officers who are two Deputy Rectors, the Registrar, the Bursar and the Librarian etc.

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1.2 Statement of Problems

below are where attention will be devoted to examining the cause or factors which have been largely responsible for unproductively in the industrial relations practice.

1. Employment problems and employment security: one of the bane of the industrial relations practice is employment of mediocre or totally unsuitable candidate in preference to candidates of high merit.
2. The reason can be traced directly to nepotism and tribalism. This is the worst plague that is besting the industrial unions in Nigeria. This plague militates against the effectiveness of the organization Nigeria today. This problem encountered in the area of employment security whereby there is unusual termination of employment.
3. Conditions of work: this implies of work, shifts, holidays or leaves.
4. Remuneration: Level, frequency, method of wage which is the most sensitive area because the aim of every worker is to ensure that the method of wage in the organization is favorable and beneficial to him payments and wage fixing no worker will want his payment to be withheld, but this has become the custom of organizations in Nigeria.
5. Labour and employer Grievances and Dispute: there is always regular labour and employer grievances and disputes in the industrial relations practice which leads to industrial strike actions and it reduces productivity.
6. Level of production and efficiency: the constant conflict and industrial disputes leads to low level of production and efficiency in an organization.
7. Social security: it includes sickness and old age benefits, maternity leave, employment injury compensation.
8. Safety, health and welfare at work upgrading and promotions.
9. Employment development: training upgrading and promotions.

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1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To prevent and settle trade dispute between employers and trade unions.
2. To help form and maintain in the machinery of joint consultation between management and union.
3. To keep in close touch with state employer and employee relations.
4. To advise the firm or the government on industrial relations problems.

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1.4 Research Questions

• How can industrial relation enhance the productivity in an organization?
• Does effective industrial relation promote the workers productivity in the organization?
• What impact do you think that industrial relation policies has brought in the organization?

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1.5 Statement of Hypothesis

• HO: industrial relation does not have significance in the improvement of organizational productivity in an organization.
• Hi: Industrial relation has a significance in the improvement of organizational productivity in an organizational productivity in an organization.
• HO: Negotiation and collective bargaining do not have any significance effect in solving industrial relation dispute.
• Hi: Negotiation and collective bargaining have a significance effect in solving industrial relations dispute.

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1.6 Significance of Study

The study will help both the workers and the management of federal Polytechnic Nekede to know the problems of industrial relation. In addition, it will add to the body of knowledge in business studies by providing information and data to researchers and students. It brings the spirit of collective bargaining and joint consultation in the organization and helps in the settlements of industrial dispute in the organization.

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1.7 Scope of the Study

The scope of this study is all embracing, talking about power relationships, power sharing and other issues which erupt from employment conditions, such as wages between management, the employer or trade unions and the state. Industrial relations emphasize on how a worker can be part of the decision making a firm, seen not as a plastercen but as a veritable to the organization.

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1.8 Limitation of the Study

The researcher consider time as the most limiting factor. Also the found that if the concept of industrial relation is not guide jealously, it will cause problems in the organization. Another constraints was the inadequacy of available data or record within the area of my case study even where such data existed the uncooperative attitudes of some senior executives officers of the institution prevented those record =s and data easily assessable for the intended use. The limited time available with my disposal posed a major handicap on the proper execution of the research paper. Other hindrances includes, financial problems.

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1.9 Definition of Terms

For the purpose of the study, some of the terms or words used will be defined as;

Industrial Relation:

This can be defined as the intertwining activities of workers management and government for better working condition.

Collective Bargaining:

This is seen as the process though which management and union representative participate in the negotiation, administration, interpretation and enforcement of written agreements coverings joint pay hours of work and other conditions of employment.

Industrial Democracy:

This is the various ways by which workers influence the decisions of the organization for which they work.

Negotiation:

This means the process in which union and employer discuss in order to come to an agreement.

Joint Consultation:

It could be defined as a meeting between the workers and their employers where the relationship is seen not in term of bargaining strength but in terms of their worth and ability to contribute to the subject being discussed.