This document discusses the Nigerian industrial relations system. It defines industrial relations as concerning the sociology and politics of power in work situations and finding solutions to problems related to wages, hours, conditions of service, etc. The industrial relations system consists of three actors: employers who provide capital, employees/workers and their organizations who supply labor in exchange for compensation, and the government which provides rules and regulations. Different perspectives on industrial relations are described, such as the unitary, pluralist, and Marxist perspectives. Elements of a sound industrial relations system and challenges facing key actors are also outlined.

1. UNDERSTANDING THE
NIGERIAN INDUSTRIAL
RELATIONS SYSTEM

2. Industrial Relations
Industrial Relations is concerned with:
 the sociology and politics of power in work
situations
 attempts to find solutions to the various
problems pose by the determination of
 wages,
 hours of work,
 conditions of service, e t c.
These problems are ever present in the
day to day running of organizations.

3. Cont’
Industrial system consist of three actors:
 Employers[ who provide the capital for setting up
the company and meeting other obligations in the
industry] and/or their associations
 Employees/workers and their organizations –
supply their physical, mental and other innate
abilities in exchange for wages and other
perquisites
 Government - provides the rules and regulations
for the proper conducts of the system and the
actors.

4. Cont’
 Allan Flanders, defined industrial
relations as a system of rules and job
regulations, both procedural and
substantive. According to him, these rules
establish “rights and obligations, which
together defines status”.
 Yesufu{1958} defined industrial relations
as “the whole web of human interactions
at work which is predicated upon and
arises out of the employment contract”.
These interactions involve :

5. Cont’
 Employment problems and employment security
 Conditions of work, hours of work, shifts,
holiday, e t c.
 Remuneration; level, frequency, methods of
wage payments and wage fixing
 labour and employer grievances and disputes
 Level of production and efficiency
 Safety, health and welfare at work
 Social security provisions
 Employee development; training, upgrading and
promotion.

6. Cont’
From these definitions, the scope of
industrial relations can be summarized as
follows:
---relationshipbetweenindividuals i.e. workers and
managers
---collectiverelationshipi.e. betweengroupof workers
andindividualsupervisor
--- relationshipbetweengroups of employees and
managers indifferent organizations
---relationshipbetweenagroupof employees inadistinct
organization
THE PERSPECTIVES OF INDUSTRIAL
RELATIONS

7. The Unitary Perspective
It is one of the earliest approaches to
explaining the employment relationship.
Here, I R is seen as abnormal and the work
of agitators and traitors. In this frame of
reference, enterprise corporatism and high
level of paternalism are very prevalent as
every effort is geared towards de-
emphasizing the union through the provision
of generous welfare benefits and
remuneration packages for workers.

8. The Pluralist perspective
This perspective recognizes the inherent
differences in interests and values of the
various components of the organization.
Conflict in labour management relations is
therefore perceived as natural and inherent
as the objectives of each of the actors are
not always the same. The pluralist school
consequently advocates for institutions such
as trade unions and collective bargaining as
machineries for the constructive resolution of
conflict in industry

9. The Marxist Perspective
This school believes that the “agonizing
and traumatic experience of the
labouring class could be ameliorated
and improvements in their working
conditions achieved only through the
antagonizing role of trade unions,
while the ultimate goal would be the
displacement or overthrow of the
capitalist mode of production and the
subsequent installation of the
proletariat leadership. In other words,
Marxists see trade unions as
revolutionary agents for changing the
social order.

10. Elements of a Sound
Industrial Relations System
 Freedom of Association
 Tripartism in labour policy
formulation
 Collective bargaining
 Social dialogue
 Dispute settlement
 Sound HR policies at enterprise
level

11. Challenges before the key
Actors
For effective negotiation ,the main
challenge facing the social
partners in industry is to
understand the objectives and the
interests of the parties . It is this
understanding that can bring
about consensus during
negotiation .

12. Trade Unions’ objectives Provision of economic benefits for
members
 The union is a platform for social
interaction among its members
 Political benefits- through the power of
collectivity, union is seen as a formidable
pressure group to enhance workers
bargaining power
 The union provides a forum whereby the
members could satisfy their
psychological needs
 To meet the job security need of
members
 The objective of providing other welfare

13. Employers’ objectives
Classical and Marxist theories of
production in market economics
describe the employer objectives
as the maximization of production
through subordination of
employees to long hours of work
at minimum costs. Empirically
however, experience tends to
show that employers and their
representatives do not declare
this as their IR objectives.

14. EMPLOYERS’ OBJECTIVES
 An average modern organization
in Nigeria today would declare
that “ the overall company policy
is to recruit, motivate, train,
retrain employees of high calibre
who can make effective
contribution to the overall profit
of the company”.

15. Cont’
from the above, one thing is clear, that is
the profit motive of the employer. To
keep employees for improved
productivity at a reduced cost. Other
objectives include:
---to compete effectively in today’s world
of business.
---to be morally responsible to the
society