STRIKES AND INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES ON THE NIGERIA UNIVERSITY SYSTEM

Introduction

1.1 Background Of The Study

Dispute is a recurring phenomenon in employee-employer relations. In every organization, whether it is a unionised or non-unionised organization, there will always be disagreement between the employer and employees, either on wages or the general conditions of service of workers. This is evident in all institutions and organizations around the world and Africa in particular. The complex nature of organisations makes dispute inevitable in the work environment. Also, the pursue of incompatible goals by the management and employees often leads to industrial dispute. Dahida and Adekeye (2013) posited that industrial dispute is a common occurrence in both private and public sectors owing to the fact that the goals and objectives of staff and management in any given organization defers. The employees may tend to seek for improved welfare while the management may desire high turnover and improved productivity. Equally, the educational environment being a social organisation is not immune from the experiences of dispute between the various associations and the management.

According to Igbaji (2009) industrial dispute has become a focal concept in industrial relations system. While threats of strike cannot be absolutely prevented, conflicts or misunderstandings that often emanate from it can be well managed. Tertiary institutions which include universities, polytechnics and colleges of education had been locked up indefinitely and many students dropped out in the process as a result of unresolved industrial dispute bothering on minimum wage, poor funding of tertiary institutions and failure on the part of government to implement an agreement between it and unions. The polytechnics like other modern institutions are not without discord and incompatible objectives and response to issues concerning the welfare of employees, which are viable sources of dispute.This can later lead to wider industrial actions if not well handled; might be counter-productive and give rise to inefficiency, ineffectiveness or mental stress in the achievement of stated organizational goals and objectives. Nwankwo (2000) opined that Nigeria educational institutions, characterized by military intervention in governance have witnessed untold negative political interference and a seeming calculated move to submerge it in the river of irrelevancies. He further argued that those in authorities see the tertiary institution as a burden and as institutions to be exploited and left desolate. The manifestations are in form of cultism, brain drain, under funding by government, erosion of academic freedom, general insecurity, dilapidated structures, and non-payment of staff salaries.

Disagreement and incompatibility of interest and goals between the employer and the employee which includes the refusal of management to honour the agreement reached with the employee, matters concerning payment of allowances and emoluments of staff, highhandedness on the part of the management, corruption and mismanagement of resources of the institution and victimization of staff by management. Ajewole (2014) stated that the manifestation of this could be seen in the incessant closure of polytechnics in Nigeria, disruption of the academic calendar, elongation of academic sessions and decrease in numbers of expected turnout of students at a particular year and the quality of students produced as well.

Arikewuyo (2006) stated that the relationship between authorities of higher institutions and staff unions, especially the academic unions, has also not been all that rosy. The administrators of Nigerian institutions have often been on a collision course with unions on many issues, which range from allocation of funds to high handedness on the part of the administration. Funding of various polytechnic projects, award of contracts, payment of outstanding allowances and salaries, purchase of facilities, library and laboratory materials, etc. have sometimes caused disharmony within the polytechnic system. As a result of the inconsistency in the polytechnic system, which ranges from strikes and all other industrial actions that keep the academic staff members away from academic environment which leads to disruption of the academic calendar, which has also ridiculed the quality of the polytechnic education in Nigeria? Thus, it reduces the morale, concentration and commitment of the staff towards academic exercise and this in turn affects the performance of the staff due to lack of upgrading of the personal qualities of personnel.

In Nigeria, just like in other nations, empirical studies have shown that whenever workers are demanding or agitating for certain entitlement or changes, they embark on strike. Strike simple means stoppage of work for a while in order to allow the employers to yield to workers agitation or demand. It is a means of protest against some unpalatable occurrence. Tahir (2013) as well as Adamu and Nwogo (2014) reported that trade union such as ASUU, usually embark on various actions over agitations for improvement of their welfare, teaching and research facilities and university autonomy.

Since the inception of the union, Academic Staff Union of the university (ASUU) in 1978, the union has undergone series of industrial action that amounts to 25 strike actions apart from the internal strike by the various chapter of the union, statistics from the national universities commission (2014). The first industrial strike of the Academic Staff Union of the university (ASUU) as reported by Olusegun (2014) commence in 1988 during the military regime of General Gadamosi Ibrahim, Babangida which lasted for one year and nine months. The strike was anchored on fair wages of the union member, setting up of a join negotiation committee between the federal government and the university staff union and university autonomy. The strike led to the prescription of ASUU on 7th of August 1988 and this also resulted into the seizure of ASUU properties and the union was as well banned by the federal government. However, the ASUU responded by forming another association named university lecturer association (ULA) but could not withstand the test of time.

Meanwhile, all this industrial action has disrupted the academics activities of the university for years while the quality of education ditched to students is half-baked. The academic performance of students is getting poorer every section due to incessant industrial action of the Academic Staff Union of the university (ASUU). Kazeem and Ige (2010) reported that disruption of academic activities resulting from industrial action of the ASUU has crippled the Nigerian educational system as the product of the Nigerian tertiary institution are half baked due to disrupted academic calendar. Edinyang and Ubi (2013); Olusegun (2014) and Adamu and Nwogo (2014) also reported that incessant industrial action of the Academic Staff Union of the university (ASUU) in Nigeria has interrupted the academic calendar of the tertiary institution, elongated the study period and thus discourage academic interest of student upon resumption.

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

Nowadays strikes have literally become a certainty worldwide, especially in countries such as Canada, China, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Kenya (Chan, 2011; Olusegun Ajayi, 2014). According to Olusegun Ajayi (2014), strike action is perceived as a global phenomenon due to its prevalence worldwide. Studies have suggested that the university education systems in Ghana, South Africa and Nigeria continue to suffer from perennial interruptions of academic sessions as a result of constant strikes being embarked upon by the employees of the universities as well as by students (Momodu, Matudi & Momodu, 2014; Seniwoliba, 2013) Strike action is a common mechanism through which workers express their dissatisfaction with their working conditions in order to achieve a desired result. They are legitimate deadlock breaking tactics used by employees when negotiations between trade unions and management reach an impasse (Matudi et al., 2014).

Strike actions are increasingly gaining recognition in the educational sector of this country and this phenomenon has attracted the attention of well-meaning Nigerians and stakeholders. From observations, the educational sector has received the greatest hit among all sectors (Olakunle, 2011). There have been series of strike actions in the nation’s educational sector and especially tertiary institutions. Notable Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strikes include 1999 (Five months), 2001 (Three months), 2002 (Two weeks), 2003/2004 (Six months), 2005 (Three days), 2006 (Three days), 2007 (Three months), 2008 (One week), 2009 (Four months), 2010 (Over Five months), 2011/2012 (Three months), 2013 (Over Five months), 2017 (Three weeks), the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) embarked on strike in 2018 to 2019 and the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) strike in 2014 and 2018 are recent incessant strike actions which have led to school disruption and stress among all concerned stakeholders .This often cause a big setback in educational industry in Nigeria and calls worries that necessitate drastic action by the nation. In some cases, union leaders have been attacked and some of them have sustained serious injuries; and some have paid with their lives due to its prolonged nature. These developments have in no small measure had negative impacts and also affected education programmes in Nigeria.

Dispute is part of every job; even the most competent, intelligent, ethical people will disagree on issues from time to time. Adebile and Ojo (2012) posited that industrial dispute has become a recurring factor in Nigerian polytechnics as a result of policies, political undertones that lay behind management and funding of the polytechnic system. In academic settings, industrial dispute is inevitable for the fact that there are different interests pursued by different parties/unions and the consensus of opinion concerning rules governing the school seldom exists among the participants: the management, academic staff and non-academic staff. There is potential for disputes in practically most decisions which the management must make. Coping efficiently and effectively with potential and identified dispute is possibly one of the most important aspects of the management position in an organisation.Dispute between the unions and polytechnic administrators in Nigeria have been affecting the polytechnic system, especially in terms of interruptions of academic activities, poor academic performance, brain drain, poor international rating of polytechnics in the country among others (Ogonor, 1996).It is, however, obvious that during industrial disputes, management surely loses production, which its cost depends on the strength and periods which the workers will indulge in the strike.

These problems consequently hinder and retarded the objectives of the establishment of polytechnics in Nigeria (F.M.E, 2004). However, how can cordial relationship be established between the staff and management of Nigerian polytechnics as well as stakeholders, to enhance the performance of staff and bring about the much needed harmonious academic environment that can stimulate achievement of goals of Nigerian polytechnics? This study, therefore aims at examining the effects of industrial dispute on the performance of academic staff of Adamawa State Polytechnic, Yola.

1.3 Research Objectives

1. Determine the causes of strikes and industrial dispute in Adamawa State Polytechnic, Yola.
2. Identify the consequences of strikes and industrial dispute in Adamawa State Polytechnic, Yola.
3. To examine the management approaches often adopted to mitigate strikes and industrial dispute in Adamawa State Polytechnic, Yola.

1.4 Research Hypotheses

• HO: There is no significant effect of strike and industrial disputes on the Nigerian University system
• HA: There is a significant effect of strike and industrial disputes on the Nigerian University system

1.5 Significance Of Study

A study on industrial relations would not only be beneficial to the state, employers of labour and employees but to the society as a whole. Labour issues have bearing with integrated national planning. It contributes to manpower development, and harmonized industrial relations which promotes rapid economic development. Besides, a peaceful industrial atmosphere is required to actualize the noble objectives for which universities were set or established to achieve. The goal of every university is to impact knowledge, skills, attitude, values and norms to learners in other to bring about development in the lives of every student and for national transformation and development.

Accordingly, Amadi and Urho (2015) explained that the vision of Universities is to be pace-setting institutions in terms of learning, character building and service to mankind with a mission to produce competent and resourceful graduates with high moral standards in our society, and the total development of men and women in an enabling environment through appropriate teaching, research and service to humanity, influenced by the constitutional ethics and culture of our Nigerian state. Over the years, universities have played dominant roles in the developed world. Universities are usually in the forefront of any social, economic and political challenges, especially with the power of research being focused on areas that will promote human development and solve existential problems. Education is as important as the air we breathe. It is the most important possession a person must have. Education is beneficial in many aspect of life especially, personal and social. Education is important because it will open up the windows of opportunities. In this competitive world having a good education is as important as the air we breathe because it is our weapon to conquer the world. Education will help you grow as an individual because the more knowledge you have the better understanding you will have in any given problem that will come your way.

However, despite the expansionary growth in numbers of Nigerian public universities and roles they are expected to play, Nigeria universities are performing below expectations. Similarly, ASUU (2005) noted that Nigeria has been bedeviled with many woes in her university educational sector; such that anyone who has the good of the country at heart would agree that the sector needs a divine touch. Indeed, Nigerian public universities today suffer from poor quality teaching staff and facilities, decay of amenities and infrastructure reflecting in low quality graduates, substandard research output and unqualified students, who are ill-equipped for the labour market.

These problems in the nation’s ivory tower seem to be an impediment in fulfilling the realization of the goals for establishing the universities (Akinnaso, 2017). Public universities here include Federal and State government owned universities in Nigeria. To critics, the reoccurring nature of industrial unrest which ASUU uses as a tool to correct these anomalies in public universities impinges on the ethos of academic excellence thereby making the Nigerian universities objects of caricature. Indeed, when students are kept away from school for a long time or frequently, most of them are completely cut off from academics. This is because the conditions at home may not favour productive and rigorous academic exercise. They may rather divert students’ attention and make them easy prey to evils. The students and their parents become frustrated because of long expectation of school resumption that sometimes is far from sight. These throw up further challenges that need to be addressed.