INDUSTRIAL CONFLICT IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

Industrial Conflict in Nigerian Universities: The Case of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Strike of December 2002 to June 2003.



TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW3

1.1 Defining Industrial Relations4

1.2 Theoretical Approaches5

1.3 Trade Unions and Ideologies9

1.4 Traditional Union Activities12

1.5 Industrial Relations and the need for situational analyses16

1.6 Industrial Relations Theory and Practice in a Globalised World20

1.6 The Decline of the Unions23

1.7 Chapter Conclusions26

CHAPTER 2: NIGERIA OVERVIEW27

2.1 Introduction27

2.2 Nigeria - Country Overview28

2. Questions of Appropriability: Corruption and Educational Policy in Nigeria32

2.4 Post-Colonialism Theory and its impacts on IR38

2.5 Higher Education in Nigeria43

2.6 Industrial Conflict in Nigeria and the ASUU50

2.7 Chapter Conclusions63

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY65

Study Technique65

Research Questions67

Sampling and Target Group67

Administration of Measures and Consent70

Collection and Treatment of Data71

Executive Summary73

BIBLIOGRAPHY75

Industrial Conflict in Nigerian Universities: The Case of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Strike of December 2002 to June 2003.

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

Industrial conflicts are affected by a wide range of factors which range across many social structures, discursive fields and lived realities. Industrial conflict will be influenced by, amongst others, regulatory policies, cultural issues, economic factors, social history as it relates to the actions of individuals in conflict situation, all of which interact dynamically to shape the social and political structure of organisation or work place. For this reason, a literature review of this thesis needs to incorporate theories or paradigms from industrial relations and other related disciplines, to develop a deep understanding of various social factors at work, like the case of ASUU strike from December 2002 to June 2003.

This literature review will be broadly structured into two chapters. The first will look at literature relating to industrial conflicts in general. In this section, major critical theories will be discussed and analysed in order to establish a solid theoretical framework for the rest of the thesis, as well as outlining and justifying the theoretical approaches that will be used in this thesis. This section will chart the ideological basis and rise of the unions, their relationship with Leftist thinkers, and the role of union activities such as strikes and collective bargaining in twentieth century society. It will also examine the implications of new social and economic structures for the union movement. The effects of globalisation and the dominant neo-liberal political and economic ideology that underpins it, which are seen to have has serious consequences for the unions The aim of this chapter will be to offer a conceptualisation of the strike and how it relates to wider social and cultural discourses in Nigeria context

The themes of this chapter will be developed in Chapter 2, which will concentrate more specifically on Nigeria, its social and cultural context and factors specific to the ASUU conflict. This will include a review of the historical circumstances which have led to the current socio-political situation in Nigeria, including its status as a British colony and post-colonial transition, and military dictatorships that have characterised its recent history as well as socio-cultural factors such as traditional notions of kinship and tribal ...