Socio-economic Impact of Academic Staff Union of Universities' Incessant Strikes on Host Communities: Focus on Anyigba Community of Kogi State, Nigeria (original) (raw)
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UNIONS, GOVERNMENT AND THE UNIVERSITY ENTERPRISE IN NIGERIA
British Journal of Education, 2021
Permit me to broach this topic with an analogy. A roof is leaking. It needs repairs. Though it sits resplendently on top of a building, it leaks badly inside when the rain falls. In order to get to the top to fix the leakages, one would think naturally, that the mender would fetch a ladder and climb the structure. But this mender is different. He gets a sledge hammer instead and takes down the building to enable him fix the roof! This analogy exemplifies the toxic nature of the subject and the urgency of approach required to conjure a symphony between the unions in our universities today and the gentry (government and university management). The overcharged , over-unionized polity of Nigerian public universities has become a cause for concern, especially as it has begun to affect the quality of teaching, research and community services. Placed side-by-side with the lackadaisical approach of government to the educational sector, it has become evident that new byways needed to be tried out to preempt the imminent and total collapse of this sector. In this work, we shall examine the causes, effects and management of industrial disputes in our universities, and the historical, economic and political nuances involved in the incessant disputes. In other words, we shall carve our positions on the causes of strike, the effects of strikes and the possible alternatives to strikes in Nigerian public universities. The objective of the study is not to apportion blames but to expose the factors which had greatly contributed to the weakening of our HEIs and had forged a corrosive effect on our universities such that the culture of scholarship is being gradually sidetracked and mediocrity being glamourized. Our universities have no place in international rankings, and our graduates who are turned out in multitudes, could no longer said to be competitive in the global market. Stopgap measures to address challenges could no longer serve the purpose of propping and rejuvenating the Nigerian educational sector especially, in public universities where every rupture has signified a culmination of gradual rust from the primary and secondary sectors of our education. Most of these universities are becoming factories where black-market options with little or no employable skills are mass-produced on a regular basis. Examination malpractices, incessant strikes, cult activities and poor work ethics are fast becoming 'the new normal,' which calls for urgent efforts to address quality concerns. This zeal to recover, rediscover and recalibrate the public universities in Nigeria is a project in irredentism that should be executed with all seriousness required so as to rescue the system from near-extinction and launch it back to global reckoning.
Education plays a crucial role in driving the process of sustainable national development. This originates from the central position it occupies in nation building but unfortunately, industrial disputes have remained pervasive in the nation’s tertiary education sub – sector. This work is premised on determining the causes and effects of industrial disputes by the Academic Staff Union of Colleges of Education (COEASU) with special reference to the Federal College of Education, Zaria (FCEZ) from 1999 – 2014. It puts firmly that, the recent industrial dispute between the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) and Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) relates to class dispute which is aimed at protecting the interest of the present and future working force of the Colleges of Education (CoEs) and sister institutions against any form of exploitative tendencies from the Federal Government. The study adopted the experimental survey research and it studied a population of staff and students of the Federal College of Education, Zaria (FCEZ) wherein a sample size of 268 was drawn from the population accordingly using probability sampling. A total of two hundred and sixty – eight (268) questionnaires were administered to the sampled respondents by means of the simple random sampling (SRS) technique while the data was analysed utilizing the Chi – square inferential statistical test.The research findings revealed that while the frequency of dispute(s) in the college system still remains low till date, the causes of dispute were not limited to the non – payment of workers’ entitlements, lack of conducive working environment, but more importantly government’s penchant renege for agreements. Also, the effects include loss of man – hour, poor academic performance amongst others. However, it recommends that COEASU should explore effectively the principles of collective bargaining through dialogue; periodic needs assessment so as to address infrastructural deficiencies in the Colleges; and the government should at all times respect and fulfil agreements reached with the union so as to boost productivity in the system through effective industrial relations
ATBU Journal of Science, Technology and Education, 2014
This paper examined the effect of ASUU strike on quality of education in Nigeria. The study has five objectives and five null hypotheses. Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The researchers targeted 450 undergraduate students from three federal universities in the North-West Geo-political zone in the country. Four rating scale structured questionnaire titled, ASUU Strike and Quality of Education in Nigeria (ASQEN) was used for data collection. The researchers assisted by two research assistants distributed the instruments. Three hundred and eighty four copies of questionnaire were properly completed. Data collected were coded in to SPSS; the package was used to run multiple regression models to determine the five null hypotheses. In all the tests of the hypotheses, the .05 confidence level was used for determining statistical significance. The result revealed that, ASUU strike has negative effect on the quality of university graduates that the country produces. In ...
This paper analyzes the Labour Unionist activities of Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) in Nigerian Universities pre and post year 2000. It presents total number and duration of strike activities and their impact on worker productivity and educational stability in Nigerian Universities. Four null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Time series data are collected through archival sources. These were presented in tables and analyzed using t test statistics and regression analysis.. Results revealed that strike activities have been a frequent occurrence in the Nigerian educational milieu. Significant differences were discovered to exist in the duration and impact of strike activities by SSANU and ASUU pre and post year 2000. Principal component analysis was also done to find out which of the causative strike factors were most pressing. It was discovered that the most pressing ones were conflict between labour unions in Universities, poor implementation of agreements by governments, patronage of university consultancy services by governments and reduction of the role of JAMB in undergraduate admission. Some of the recommendations include frequent dialogue between government, University administration and employers and worker conditions of service be reviewed to match inflationary tendencies.
This paper analyzes the Labour Unionist activities of Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) in Nigerian Universities pre and post year 2000. It presents total number and duration of strike activities and their impact on worker productivity and educational stability in Nigerian Universities. Four null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Time series data are collected through archival sources. These were presented in tables and analyzed using t test statistics and regression analysis.. Results revealed that strike activities have been a frequent occurrence in the Nigerian educational milieu. Significant differences were discovered to exist in the duration and impact of strike activities by SSANU and ASUU pre and post year 2000. Principal component analysis was also done to find out which of the causative strike factors were most pressing. It was discovered that the most pressing ones were conflict between labour unions in Universities, poor implementation of agreements by governments, patronage of university consultancy services by governments and reduction of the role of JAMB in undergraduate admission. Some of the recommendations include frequent dialogue between government, University administration and employers and worker conditions of service be reviewed to match inflationary tendencies.
The university is a citadel of academic excellence, a centre of learning, where knowledge is created and shared for the purpose of economic, social, political, scientific and technological development of society. It is therefore expected to operate in an atmosphere of peace, order and without tension or any form of disharmony to achieve its goals. Unfortunately, this is not the case with federal universities in Nigeria that have been in a perennial state of industrial disharmony. Extant literature attributes this situation to poor leadership and struggle for power and influence within the union as well as the conflict between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Academic Staff Union of Universities over non-implementation of extant agreements. However, not much research has been done with respect to the impact of the FGN-ASUU dispute over university autonomy. Therefore, this study sought to examine the nexus between the FGN-ASUU dispute over university autonomy and industrial d...
Trade Unionism on Academic Performance and Development of Nigerian Universities: A Comparative Study
Labour disputes have become regular occurrences in Nigeria and the right to trade unionism has been constantly abused. Such unionism abuses and disputes often results in low productivity, which in turn affects the demand and supply chain of the economy. The laws in the country are always not abided by, so rather than bargaining, unions embark on strike as first resort, thereby constantly disrupting industrial harmony and academic activities in Nigerian Universities. The objective of this study is to make a comparative assessment of both Nigerian Private and Governments owned Universities and determine whether there is any relationship between non trade unionism and industrial peace, academic performance and productivity in these institutions. The study is a descriptive research designed in line with empiricism case study, and secondary data were mainly applied and were analysed by content analysis. The findings of the study revealed that There is a significant relationship between non trade unionism and industrial peace, academic performances, productivity and development of Nigerian Private Universities unlike the Government owned Universities; and that unionism in Nigerian private universities don't disrupt students academic activities, which enhances student's performance. The study draws its conclusion on the fact that regulated or Non trade unionism will always result to industrial peace which is necessary for high academic performance and productivity in Nigerian Universities, and therefore recommends that even though the right of association is a fundamental one, private universities in Nigeria should continue to recognize staff associations but such associations should be regulated and should not be allowed to join the national unions to avoid incessant strike actions; also Labour management dispute committees should be established in all Nigerian universities to handle all union matters internally to further increase productivity.
2014
The public university system in Nigeria suffers from perennial interruptions of academic sessions due to strike actions frequently embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). The purpose of the perennial strikes is mostly to get the government to better fund the public university system so as to create the enabling environment, which would capacitate it towards greater performance. Thus, this study explored the triggers and strategies for tackling industrial strikes in the public university system in Nigeria. Drawing from the findings made in this study, recommendations on the appropriate approaches towards addressing the perennial ASUU strikes in the Nigeria’s public university system were proffered with a view to revitalizing the system as well as re-focusing it to effectively contribute to the national development of Nigeria.
Effect of strikes on management and planning of educational activities in Nigerian universities
Global Journal of Educational Research, 2018
This paper examines the effect of strike on management and planning of educational activities in Nigerian universities. The meaning of strike was defined, and a brief history of strike in tertiary institutions in Nigeria was analyzed including the 2017 strike by ASUU. The causes of strikes were thoroughly explained. The effect of strike on management and planning of universities in Nigeria was also treated. It was concluded that Strike is a problem that has lingered for too long, yet nothing serious has been done about it. That management of strike in Nigeria requires the attention of both the government, educational managers, academic and non-academic staff, as well as other relevant stakeholders. That strike makes planning for universities' academic and non-academic activities to be very difficult. That everyone must play his or her role by abiding to agreements signed. That educational managers faces the challenge of re-planning educational activities, re-preparing the school calendar, reassigning old task to new staff and not achieving certain long term goals due to the prolonged unaccomplishment as a result of the strike. Strike is an event that consumes and waste a lot of time which implies that urgent attention is needed to solve this problem. Recommendations were also made based on the observations from this paper.