ABSTRACT
This researcher project is a very crucial study for Enugu State Civil Service. The study was motivated by the necessity to establish the extent of democracy in trade union. To solve the research problem both primary and secondary data were collected. The researcher instrument used in collecting the data were questionnaires and oral interview. The respondents comprised of employees. In organizing and presenting data collected, table, frequencies and percentage were used the various hypothesis were tested using the chi-square. Based on the data analysis and interpretation five of the following findings: The study revealed the degree or extent of solidarity in trade union. On average, the solidarity in trade union could said to be low. Research study equally revealed that union constitution encourage democracy practices. Based on the findings, the researcher concludes that there is no absolute democracy in trade union. The following recommendation were made. Leaders should remember that they are voted power to serve their members. There should be a permanent line of communication through such tools as meetings, building and constitution. The leadership of union should conduct their officers with extreme caution & probity.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1. BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
The first of formal trade union to develop in Nigeria was the civil service, founded in 1912. Even though it’s aims were vogue in the initial stage, there was no doubt that it was formed to protect the interest of their member and the word “native” is clearly indicative of the struggle against the foreign employer. Before the advent of the modern industrial sectors in Nigeria, there were already in existence employer – employee relationship with system of work and reward based on the culture and transaction of the people. In general, the employer was an individual and his workmen were essentially member of his household or of the extend family including cousins, nephews and nieces.
In the circumstance, the work relation approach was paternalistic in respect to reward and other welfare facilities. The active impetus to trade unionism in Enugu came with the passing of the trade union ordinance in 1938. This law formally recognized the existence of trade unionism. The same law laid down the model of registration of trade union and prescribed the right and obligations in the employer-employee relationship. It should be noted that trade union operate within industrial relation system where employer and government are also debtors. A trade union is concerned with collective strength. It arises and tries to replace individual worker bargaining power at work with worker’s collective or group bargaining power. However, the employee or worker collective function need not be formal organization in order that it’s can be those of trade union.
The hierarchy of worker does not necessarily imply formal organization. Worker may be “unorganized” in the popular usage, but in so far as they are in continuing enterprises they qualify their association as a undoubtedly to democratize industrial management whereby the autocratic power of employers are restricted by rules and regulation negotiated with representative of workers. The extent to which this is allowed is determined by the law regarding trade union organization from state to state. In most cases, provisions of such laws are aimed at democracy in the government of the trade union.
Democracy in this contest refers to a form of government where the ruled to a very large extent participate in matter affecting them, with regard to trade union. The normal roll of member and qualification of membership are demanded by the appropriate government organs before the union can perform legally, for instance. The trade union ordinance of Nigeria 1938 made those necessary condition before a trade union could function legally, it even went to the extend of specifying that only union member could be appointed to the committee of management. These provision tend to perform with the definition of democracy as provided by Abraham Lincoln which see it as government of the people where leadership of the union is to a very large extent controlled by the ordinary member and the leadership comes from within the membership.
The government of the trade union can then be said to be “of and by” the people. For a trade union government to be seen as ruling for the people. The leadership should display a high degree of integrity. There must therefore be avenue for the member to ensure that due contribution by members are in accordance with laid down rules, and that accounts of such spending shall be rendered to the member at regular intervals. In addition to this, the ordinary member should have the right to provide input for the decision and utterance of their leaders. This could be done effectively by establishing a frame work for information flow and exchange between the ordinary members from time to time. And when this is done or obtained, the leadership of the union can be truly said to be a government “for” the people which in this contest refers to the ordinary member of the union.
Finally, the problem of union democracy can be looked at from these main angles. In the first place, the state political atmosphere in which the trade union operated should be democratized. Secondly, there must be industrial democracy whereby employers on their association allow union to organize their member and conduct their activities without hindrance and the external regulatory agencies appointed by the government should act as supervisor that they are suppose to be. Thirdly, union democracy should extend to the internal government of the union.
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