Trade Union Proliferation and Strike Actions in the Public Service in Nigeria

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between proliferation of trade unions and the frequent strike actions in the public service in Nigeria. The frequency of strike actions in Nigerian public service has become a very big source of worry, this is mainly because aside from the fact that strike action has become the only veritable weapon in the hands of public sector workers in Nigeria against the Government, it also has something to do with the number of trade unions existing in the public sector. In the public University system in Nigeria for instance, there are four trade unions and there is some kind of rivalry between these unions especially between the teaching staff union and the non-teaching staff unions. This explains why if any of the unions succeeds in gaining any form of concession from the Government the other unions will also demand such concessions for their members and that kind of situation has been a major source of strike actions in the public service in Nigeria. Aside from the unions in the public University system, there are other unions in the other tertiary institutions such as Polytechnics and Colleges of Education. The same situation applies in other sectors of the economy such as the health sector, oil sector and so forth. The strike that was recently embarked upon by the non-teaching staff unions in the public Universities in Nigeria which lasted three and half months over Earned Allowances and other demands is a typical case in point. This paper therefore concludes that the frequent strike actions witnessed in the public sector in Nigeria today is strongly associated with proliferation of trade unions. There is need to merge some of the unions that could be merged especially those whose activities are related so as to reduce the number of trade unions to the barest minimum. This will obviously go a long way in reducing the frequency of strike actions in the public service in Nigeria.