INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS AND PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

THE IMPACT OF STRIKE ACTION ON THE ACHIEVEMENT OF TRADE UNION OBJECTIVE

THE IMPACT OF STRIKE ACTION ON THE ACHIEVEMENT OF TRADE UNION OBJECTIVE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Strike action also called labour strike or industrial action is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employee(s) to work. A strike usually takes place in respond to employee grievances. Strike became important during the Industrial Revolution, when mass labour became important in factories and mines. In most countries, they were quietly made illegal, as factory owners had far more political power than workers. Most western countries partially legalize striking in the late 19th or early 20th centuries. Strikes are sometimes used to put pressure on government to change polices. Occasionally, strike destabilizes the rule of a particular political party or ruler. In such cases, strikes are often part of a broader social movement taking the form of a campaign of civil resistance. A notable example is the stoppage of work by the indigenous railways workers in (1932) led by Pa Michael Imodu during the colonial era and the first general strike of (1945) in Nigeria.
Since 1970 to present time, workers demand for improved condition of work and wages have increased the number of strike actions as management most times would not accurately satisfy the needs and requests of employees even in the face of economic recession. In this study, however, we are going to examine the causes of strike, i.e. consequences and impact in the achievement of trade union objectives.