CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Industrial conflict is ubiquitous. Sometime, it is regarded as deviant behaviour
(by systems analysts). Pluralists and
Marxists regard it as endemic in industrial societies with substantial private sectors. It is regarded also as the motive force of
the industrial relation system, scale its various processes are essentially
designed to contain labour unrest according Fourchex & Rojot, (1999).
Industrial conflict simply referred to as
strike, which is a situation that is characterized by the inability of those
concerned to iron out their differences, and thus have to result into strike.
Nicholas and Kelly, (2000), opined that
it has been argued that the examination of conflict should be expanded to
include.
“The total range of behaviour and
attitude that express opposition and divergent orientations between individual
owners and managers on the one hand, and working people and their organsiations
on the other”. Koruhauser et al (2001).
Conflict is inevitable in
industry. We will attempt to answer the
question, why do conflict arise in industry? In what ways are conflict
expressed and why are some industries or organizations more notorious with open
violent conflict expression.
It is expected that industrial relation
which is broadly concerned with the systematic study of all aspects of
employment relation and how to manage such relationship should provide
mechanisms to ensure that all areas of disputes and disagreements are
accommodated. In addition to the unique
contribution to knowledge flowing from industrial relations proper, there are
wealth of new theories, methods,
approaches, tests and practices in the field that can be traced to a
combination of social, in order to maintain industrial harmony.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Organizations be it manufacturing or
servicing, are usually faced with the problem of managing employment
relationship. The problem starts from
recruitment, selection and placement.
The problem may rear it’s head in the form of dissatisfaction which can
mean different things to the workers. To
some it is poor management policy which concerns merging relationships in the
work place, lack of motivation, i.e., lack of poor working condition, poor
incentives, poor communication system, and worker alienation. Another source of problems has to do with the
caliber of workers in the organization.
The organization has to put all the
principles of industrial relation into practice in order to harness the
potential in all workers. Once a worker
feels dissatisfied, that is the beginning of grievances or dispute which, if
not curtailed or resolved can lead to conflict.
All the actors in industrial relation
have desires objectives which must be satisfied, but they also have obligations
which must be met. Therefore failure in
any aspect can bring disharmony in an organization.
1.3
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
In view of the above mention problems,
the researcher aim at looking carefully at industrial conflict and the impact
it has in organizational performance in relation to running its day to day
activities which will also help the organization in assessing its relationship
with employees.
·
To
identify the causes of industrial conflict in Kaduna Polytechnic;
·
Discuss
how satisfied the workers are with their jobs,
·
To
ascertain the relationship that exists between the workers and management as
well as making appropriate recommendations on factors that motivate the worker towards
higher performance;
·
To
proffer possible solution to industrial conflict in the organization and give
recommendation in order to forestall future occurrence
·
To
know the impact of the crisis on the performance of Kaduna Polytechnic as an
organization.
1.4 STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESIS
The concept to work has been accepted
as a way of life. There must be a way to
manage the relationship in the work place, the interaction of the parties to industrial
relations could produce both agreement or consensus and disagreement or
conflict.
Therefore, the following statistical
hypothesis were formulated to guide this research work
H0: Industrial
conflict has no significant impact on the performance of an organization
H1: Industrial
conflict has significant impact on the performance of an organization.
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
A research work into the impact of
industrial conflict on the performance of an organization is deserved and
necessary. The study is to help
organization to appreciate the need to maintain industrial harmony, and measures
to prevent the escalation of despute and avoid conflict because of the negative
impact it has on the performance of an organization. The study also aims at improving employment
relationship in the organization and its conclusion and recommendation would proffer
a lasting solution to help organizations to achieve its objectives.
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The scope of the study is to discuss
the relevance of industrial conflict with output on a worker and the impact it
has on the overall performance of the organization.
1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
Conducting a research cannot be
regarded as an easy task and this is not an exception. So in conducting this investigation, some problems
that were encountered
which includes:
i. Time
Factor: It is obvious that this
research work is combined with school academic work. Therefore, the researcher finds it very
difficult to go with the research and the process of gathering information
become limited.
ii. Financial
Constraint:- Financial
Constraint is one important aspect when writing or conducting a research simply
because it determine how far you can go in the cause of the research work that
is going to affect the researcher as it will limited him only to the impact of industrial conflict or action on
Kaduna Polytechnic performance which is our case study.
iii. Lack
of Relevant Information:-As big organization are mostly face with the
problem of improper record keeping and the bottleneck of obtaining
information. Hence, it is not all
necessary data required for this types of study cannot be kept appropriately by
the organization. Hence they provide
information verbally which can not fallacy.
iv Material
Constraint: The inability to get all
the needed current textbooks, journal and other sufficient information to bring
the result of the findings up to date is posing source difficulties to the
study too.
1.9 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF CASE STUDY
Kaduna Polytechnic was established as
Kaduna Technical Institute in 1956 at the site of Kaduna Trade Centre. The technical institute was running three
year Junior Engineering and Commerce Course with 355 Workforce.
In 1962 the Government of Northern
Nigeria approved the redesignation of the
technical institute to Kaduna Polytechnic as per executive council of Northern Nigeria
conclusion 1 (62) following a memorandum No. NC (c61) of 30th November, 1961
subsequently. The government sought for
the aid of the department of technical cooperation of the
United Kingdom for the services of two experts submitted a comprehensive and
thorough survey for the establishment of
a Polytechnic. The first principal of
the Polytechnic Mr. F.T. Hawley assumed
duty in August 1966 at which time it was operating from site of Kaduna
technical institute. The Polytechnic was
then running Junior Engineering Course, OTD.
Higher Certificate and In-service Course for training of assistant
technique officers and technical assistant for manpower development with a
workforce of 520.
In 1967, after the creation of state
the institutions originally owned by the defunct Northern Nigeria Government
were merged with the Polytechnic as provided by Decree No. 20 of 1968. The Polytechnic then had two College made up
of:
College of Science and Technology (CST)
Staff Development Centre (SDC), the
workforce increase to 700 employee.
In 1970, the survey department of
defunct Northern Region of Nigeria was merged with Kaduna Polytechnic with
College of Administrative and Business Studies (CABS). In the same year the survey unit was upgraded
to College of Environmental Studies (CES).
And the workforce rise to 1500 employee.
In 1990, College of Engineering was carved out of College of Science and
Technology. The workforce increased to
1700 employee.
Decree setting up Kaduna Polytechnic
was amended by Decree No. 52 of 1969 and replace by Decree No 73 of 1979. The Polytechnic was taken over by the Federal
Government on 27th August, 1991 vide Decree No. 40 of 1991 an amended in 1993
by Decree No 5 (all these document are part of information to the council)
Administrative
Structure:
The central administrative is composed
on the Rectory, Registry, Bursary, the works Department, the Medical Centre and
the Library. Each of these Departments
has division for administrative convenience for example. The Registry is
subdivided into the academics, establishment administration, student affairs
and information sections, each headed by a deputy registrar to take charge of
different aspects of the registry.
The Polytechnic also operates the
collegiate system which allow for each college to be headed by a Director who
take charge of academic as well as the administrative responsibilities of the
college. The five existing college are
the College of Business and Management
Studies (CBMS), College of Administrative Studies and Social Science
(CASSS), College of Engineering (COE), College of Environmental Studies (CES)
and College of Science and Technology (CST), the institution now headed by Dr.
Danjuma Isa as the Rector. With a total
workforce of 3,000 employees.
1.10 DEFINITION OF TERMS
COLLECTIVE
BARGAINING: An institutional system of negotiation in
which the making interpretation and administration of rules and the application
of the statutory controls affecting the employment relationship are decided
within union management negotiation committee.
STRIKE:-
Is a concerted and temporary withholding of employees services from the
employers so as to exact greater concession than the employers is willing to
grant.
Joint Consultation:- The involvement of employee representatives
in discussion and consideration of matters which affect employee.
CONFLICT:
A situation where the actors in an industrial environment are unable to
resolve their differences
UNION
SHOP:- Non union members may be employed but are
required to joint the union after probationary period
GRIEVANCE:-
Is a specific formal dissatisfaction expressed through an identified
procedure.
EMPLOYEE
INVOLVEMENT (EI):-
Process providing employees with the opportunity of influence decision making
on matters, which affect them.
COLLECTIVE
AGREEMENT:- The outcome of collective bargaining and
agreement between employers and trade unions respectively terms and condition
of employment.
YELLOW
DOG CONTRACT:- Formed coined by unions to describe and
agreement between an employee and employers stimulating that as a condition of
employment the worker would not joint a labour union.
DUE
PROCESS:- Right of an employee to be dealt with fairly
and justly during investigation or an alleged offence and the administration of
any subsequent disciplinary action.
CHECK
OFF:- This is an agreement between union and
employers to collect union dues as
sources i.e from the pay check.
GOOD
FAITH BARGAINING:- Sincere intention of both parties to
negotiate differences and reach a mutually acceptable agreement.
BOULDWARISM:
Is a form of collective bargaining under which management makes its best
offer at the out-set of bargaining and adheres to it’s position throughout the
bargaining session.
LOCKOOUT:-
Refusal of an employer to let it employee worth.
CAPTIVE
AUDIENCE:- Management right to speak against a union to
employees on company time and to require employee attend the meeting and union
has no right to reply on company time.