IMPLICATION OF THE USE OF STRIKE ACTION AS AN INSTRUMENT OF ACHIEVING BETTER CONDITIONS OF SERVICE IN OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
Abstract
This paper examined “implication of the use of strike action as an instrument of achieving better conditions of service in our educational system.” The study noted that strike has become synonymous with the educational system in Nigeria. Strike is a period of time when an organized group of employees of a company stops working because of a disagreement over pay or conditions. The past two decades have witnessed strike very often, which have made completing one full academic calendar year look unlikely. The theoretical framework employed in the analysis of this scholarly study is the conflict theory. Conflict theory is a theory which examines the ways in which groups of people disagree, struggle for power and compete for resources such as wealth and prestige. Conflict theory shares the basic assumption that no group exists which does not possess conflicts of interest. Conflict theory was relevant and found very useful in explaining and analyzing the realities in Nigeria’s educational system. The state who wields political power of control does little or nothing to improve the education sector and that is why workers often result to strike actions. The methodology for this work was the systematic qualitative content analysis derived mainly from secondary sourced materials. The study revealed that strikes negatively affect the educational system in Nigerian and make students and their families disappointed with high level of stress. Due to these strike actions, students are not able to complete their academic work within the prescribed period as stated in the prospectus. The paper recommended that the government should be proactive and not reactive in initiating increase in salaries and allowance as well as welfare packages of their workers as this will put in check frequent agitations on salary increase and welfare packages by staff unions. Furthermore, workers’ and government’s negotiating teams should be more efficient in resolving industrial conflicts through dialogue.
