Community Democracy for Local and National Development

“Taking democracy seriously” is a title of a contribution made by a writer in a book he edited on democracy. The growth of democracy over the past ten years in Nigeria has created opportunities and challenges for development of local communities in Northern Nigeria and Nationally. But there are many blockages to allow democracy to thrive and give rise to openings for development.

The younger generation are particularly concerned with these obstacles. A youth organization of a coalition of many groups are determined to face this challenge. The following could help them to expand and put together many communities for democracy and development:
1. Establish independent community organization of students, women, unemployed youth, various occupational groups, etc.
2. These would with common agenda constitute communities of democracy and development in their local areas.
3. These together, networking in many ways are to become promoters and bulwark of democracy and development in the larger society.
4. They are to be exposed to values of democracy by putting them through collective efforts to deal with local problems.
5. To educate them to adhere to team and group work to make it easier for development of leadership.
6. To articulate demands of each group through conference and workshops and educate them on how to pursue the demands through local authorities and beyond.
7. To make them establish relationship with other groups in the communities to build support in case there will be a need for united action.
8. In order to empower them economically, students for example are to demand for scholarship from local authorities, unemployed youth to be recognized as an organization which has the right to speak on behalf of its members, various occupational groups for support of guarantorship and credit facilities from the local authorities.
9. To promote education in general and civic education and literacy in particular among the people.
10. Facilitate citizen access to information.
11. Give the people the right to demonstrate without molestation by the police.
12. Expose them to ideas of democratic principles, development as well as of human rights.
13. Strengthen their awareness and capacity to fight corruption and patronage.
14. To be shown that public service is not for few but that every person has equal access to public resources, and to take part in the conduct of public affairs.
15. People are to be educated on both the National and the international codes that every person has the right to enjoy equal protection before the law, without any discrimination based on religious, nation or social origin, property or other status.
16. For a fair-leveled play ground all rights including of religious belief, personal opinion, etc. which are essential to full and effective participation in a democratic society, be enforced by independent and impartial judiciary, open to the public.
17. That elected leaders uphold the law and function strictly in accordance with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Procedures established by law.
18. Accordingly to ensure that Government refrains from any extra-constitutional actions, in its dealing with people.
19. To ensure respect of ownership of land and when is needed for any public purpose to pay compensation immediately before use.
20. In order to prevent threat against these principles and generally democracy and efforts for development all organizations and individual members or leadership of these must show accountability, transparency and avoid godfatherising.
These and others not mentioned will set multiple processes for democracy and development in local communities which may in turn create potentialities for longer democratic society.

However, these may create unwelcome responses, therefore there will be need of patience and courage to continue

M. M. Yusif
04/07/2011

Labour and Industrial Relations

Department of Political Science

Bayero University, Kano

 

MPA 8208: 2010/2011

Labour and Industrial Relations

First Semester

 

 

M.M. Yusif

Friday 3:00 – 6:00 pm

M. Block – Old Campus

 

Introduction

This is a course on labour and industrial relations which is part of a programme – Masters in Policy and Public Administration – of the department of Political Science during 2010/2011 Academic year. It is designed to introduce students to a higher level of theoretical discourse on the nature of the changing context of industrial relations, from the traditional system through the period of breakdown of the old system to a transition to a new industrial Relation in Nigeria.

 

Overview of the Course

Labour and Industrial Relations studies in Nigeria's Higher Institutions of learning is limited by lack of serious and deep theoretical reflections of industrial relations as "capital-labour" relations. One can observe without fear that all the earlier studies and many of the recent studies have abstracted industrial relations from the conflict and contradictions which move modern capitalist society – in Nigeria.

 

Therefore, many of the existing literature hardly put in the schema of analysis the valorization of capital and the structural contradictions which inform the transformation of industrial relations. These studies neither bring into consideration global or external influence on internal logic of changes in the economy in general and of industrial relations in particular.

 

Thus, it is not surprising that now there is emerging body of ideas, from advance capitalist countries, that neo-liberal globalization has brought the "end of industrial relations".

 

The turning point in this course, during this academic year is that industrial relations is management of capital and labour relations, both in work places and in the larger society in Nigeria, an example of modern peripheral capitalist society.

 

Is industrial relations to stabilize the capitalist system or to promote class conflict and struggle? The regulation theory and Marxist theoretical approaches will provide us with the principles to give the direction too explain this problematic.

 

The regulation theory became a popular theoretical approache in Social Sciences, especially in Economics, Sociology, geography and Political Economy "to explain the paradox in capitalist development between the inherent tendency towards instability and crisis, and its ability to stabilize for periods around a set of institutions, norms and rules that secure periods of economic stability". The regulation approach pattern of analysis of changes and transformation of capitalist system is according to Lipietz (one of the Originators of regulation theory) is a combination of (i) regimes of accumulation and (ii) modes of regulation. Thus, in the study of industrial relations political economy is applied to understand the trend of changes and transformation.

 

In this context the transformation of industrial relations could be seen in the transformation of regime of accumulation. The recent history of the development of capitalism, shows from a global characterization, Fordist and post-fordist regimes of accumulation. The Fordist regime is characterized by mass production and mass consumption, the rise of strong working-class movement capable of extracting much from capital and so also the consolidation of welfare state. There was a crisis of the Fordist regime of accumulation when generally real wages continue to increase, while the rate of profit continues to fall. The power of workers has reached a climax. The response to this crisis of accumulation called for restructuring, and so came another regime of accumulation called post-Fordist. This new regime is characterized by greater flexibility of work practices, mean production, reduced role in society for Trade Union, etc.

 

That is the history of development of capitalism and capital-labour relations in centre countries. But the trend is replicated in peripheral countries. So, there is peripheral Fordism and Peripheral post-Fordist. This applies to Nigeria.

 

The Marxian approach on the other hand asserts that industrial relations is an expression of class conflict and struggle between workers, owners of capital and the state.

 

In Nigeria, the Fordist industrial relations corresponded to the period from post-world war II up to early 1980s characterized by liberal and corporatist strategies to accommodate the interests of workers and their leaders. From there, with global economic crisis which affected Nigeria, the Fordist capital-labour harmony began to breakdown and set for transition to a new mode of regulation. The transition period was long and characterized by non-payment of salaries; dissolution of the central labour organization i.e. the NLC; arrest, detention and harassment of labour leaders. The transition to post-Fordist capital-labour relations did not become a reality, still a mixed reality until with enactment of 2005 Labour Amendment Law.

 

Format of the Class

Responsible of the course is M.M. Yusif who will give lectures on the topics outlined on the programme. The lecture period will be divided into two parts. The first is to give a brief talk which will highlight some major issues covered in the literature on the topic. The second part will be for discussion on relevant texts chosen for review.

 

Requirements of the Course and Evaluation of Students

Regular attendance is a necessary requirement. But I prefer attendance in which we come and start together and finish together. Yes! If you are ready to learn come to the class before lecture begins and go after the class. Secondly, on writing a paper as requirement of the course, it must be based on library research, analytical, showing relationship between theory and data. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Any one found on plagiarism will be awarded zero in his continuous Assessment. Thirdly participation in discussions in class is a guarantee for enhanced learning.

 

Finally, assessment of students will be based on 20% on the quality of term paper which each one will write. Then 10% for review of a relevant text, while 10% for attendance. The 60% left is for end of semester examination.

 

Topics of the Course (in chronological Order per Week)

1. General Introduction: A critique of studies on labour and industrial relations in Nigeria; An Overview of the Course; Requirements of the course; evaluation of students:
   

Reading

• Henry Ejembi (1996). A survey of Labour studies in Nigeria
  

  
   

1. Basic Concepts and terminologies
   

   Revisit: Labour; capital; industrial relations; Neo-liberal Globalization; Fordism; Post-Fordism
   

Readings

• Rechard Hyman, Industrial Relations: A Marxist Introduction. Chapters 1 and 7
  
• Dafe Otobo, Industrial Relations: Theory and Controversies. Chapter 2
  
• Ronaldo Munck. Globalisation and Labour: The New Great Transformation. Chapter 3
  
• Bruce E. Kaufman. The end of industrial relations.
  

  
   

1. Capital and Industrial Relations
   

Readings

• Karl Marx, "Capital and Labour". In K. Marx and K. Engels. Selected works Vol. I
  
• ……........, "wage labour and capital" selected works Vol. I
  
• Karl Marx, "from manufacture to modern industry". From capital Vol. I reproduced in Andre Gorz (ed.). The division of labour. The labour process and class struggle in modern capitalist society.
  
• Michael Burawoy. "The contours of production politics". In Charles Bergquist (ed). Labour in the capitalist World Economy
  
• Harry Braverman. Labour and Monopoly Capital: the degradation of work in the 20^th century.
  
• Andre Gorz. "The Tyranny of the factory: today and tomorrow". In Andre Gorz (ed.) op-cit
  

  
   

1. Theoretical Approaches
   

Readings

• Reiner D. and Jurgen O. Regulation Theory
  
• Michel Aglietta, Capitalism at the turn of the century; Regulation theory and the challenge of social change
  
• B. Kozlova, "Institutionalism. In Mileikousky et al. Present-Day Non Marxist Political Economy: A critical Analysis.
  
• Richard Hyman, Industrial relations: A Marxist Introduction.
  

  
   

1. Capitalism, State and Industrial Relations
   

Reading

• Dominic Strinati. "Capitalism, the State and Industrial Relation". In Colin Crouch (ed) State and Economy in Contemporary Capitalism
  
• Dafe Otabo, op cit. Chapter 7
  
• L.M. SachiKonye, "The State and the Union Movement in Zimbabwe: Cooptation, Conflict and Accomodation. In B. Beckman and L.M. Sachikonye (eds.). Labour Regimes and Liberalisation: The Restructuring of State – Society Relations in Africa.
  
• Yahaya Hashim, "Cooptation, Control and Resistance: The State and the Nigeria Labour Congress". In B. Beckman and L.M. Schikonye (eds.) op cit
  

  
   

  
   

1. Civil Society, Trade Union and Industrial Relations
   

Readings

• Gibbon P. "Some Reflections on Civil Society and Political Change". In L. Rudebeck and O. Tornquist (eds.). Democratization in the Third World
  
• Beckman B. "Whose Civil Society? Trade Unions and Capacity Building in the Nigerian Textile Industry". In Beckman and Sachikonye (eds.). op. cit
  
• Isme Akca. "Globalisation, State and Labour: Towards a Social Movement Unionism".
  
• Webster. E. and Buhlungu. S. "Between Marginalisation and Revitalisation: the State and Trade Unions in South Africa". ROAPE No. 100 (2004)
  
• Webster. E. and Adler. G., "Exodus without a Map? The Labour Movement in a Liberalising South Africa. In Beckman and Sachikonye (eds.) op. cit.
  

  
   

1. Democracy and Industrial Relations
   

   
    

• Tom Elarke. "Industrial Democracy: The Institutional Suppression of Industrial Conflict? In Tom Clarke and Laurie Clements (eds.). Trade Unions Under Capitalism.
  
• Dafe Otobo. Industrial Relations: Theory and Controversy. Chapter 5
  
• Franco Berchies. "The Social Construction of Labour in the Struggle for Democracy: The Case of Post-Independence Nigeria. ROAPE Vol. 23 No. 69 (1986).
  
• Funmi Adewumi (eds.). Trade Unionism in Nigeria: Challenges of the 21^st Century Chapter 7
  

  
   

1. Nigeria: Peripheral Fordism and Industrial Relations
   

   
    

• Peter Waterman, "labour Relations in Nigeria Port Authority". Mimeo
  
• Robin Cohen, labour and Politics in Nigeria 1945 – 71
  
• Roger Southhall, Trade Unions and the new Industrialisation of the Third World. Chapters 3 and 5.
  
• Yusuf Bangura, Nationalism, Accumul;atiion and Labour Subordination: 1970 – 1978.
  

1. Nigeria: Crisis of Peripheral Fordism and Industrial Relation
   

Readings

• M.M. Yusif. "Class Conflict and Confrontation in Nigeria: 1979 – 1983". Conference Paper
  
• Olajide Olayedi, Coping Under Recession: Workers in a Nigerian Factory. Chapters 1, 5, and 7
  
• Gunilla A. and Beckman B. Union Power in the Nigeran Textile Industry: Labour Regime and Adjustment. Conference Paper
  
• …………., Labour and Industrial Crisis in the Third World: The Case of Nigerian Textiles and Cotton
  
• Yusuf Bangura, The Recession and Workers Struggles in the Vehicle Assambly Plants: A Case Study of Steyr – Nigeria
  
• ………….., Crisis Management and Union Struggles in Niger State – Nigeria
  
• ………….., Crisis and Adjustment: the Experience of Nigerian Workers.
  
• ……………, industrial Crisis and the Struggle for National democracy: Lessons from Kaduna Textiles Ltd. And the Workers demonstration of January 1984.
  
• Yusuf Bangura and Bjoin Beckman, African Workers and SAP with a Nigerian Case Study.
  
• Beckman B. The Politics of Labour and Adjustment. The Experience of the Nigerian Labour Congress.
  
• Beckman B. and Gurilla A. Workers Power and the Crisis of the Nigerian textile Industry.
  

  
   

1. Nigeria: Peripheral Post-Fordism and Industrial Relations
   

   Readings
   

   1. Fremabo O. O. "Trade Union Policy in an Economic Recession". In Acamic Digest 1990
      
   2. Adesina J. "Towards the Reconstruction of industrial Relations Theory". In Dafe Otobo (ed.). Further Readings in Nigerian Industrial Relations.
      
   3. Damachi U. G. "Creating industrial Peace in Nigeria". In Damachi U. G. and Fashoyin T. (eds.). Contemporary Problems in Nigerian Industrial Relations
      
   4. Isaac N. O. State – Labour Relation Under SAP in Nigeria
      
   5. Beckman B. "Trade Unions and institutional Reform: Nigerian Experiences with South African and Uganda Comprarisons
      
   6. ………., "The Politics of Reform: Responses of African Trade Unions with a South African Case.
      
   7. ………, "Collective bargaining and Political Reform: textile Union Strategy in the face of Crisis and Adjustment".
      
   8. …….., "African Trade Unions and the Politics of Reform".
      
   9. Gunilla A. and Beckman B. "Bargaining for Survival: Unionized Workers in the Nigerian Textile Industry".
      
   10. M.M. Yusif. "Industrial Relations and Collective Bargaining Strategies: New trend in Industrial Relations.
       
   11. Imosili I. C. "The Impact of Economic Recession on Bargaining in the Food, Beverages and Tobacco Industries". In Dafe Otobo and Manikinyo Omole (eds.). Readings in Industrial Relations in Nigeria.
       
   12. Tayo Fashoyin, "Collective Bargaining Challenges During Economic Recession". In Damachi and Fashoyin (eds.). op. cit.
       
   13. …….., "Deregulation and Decentralization of Collective Bargaining: Problems and Prospects". Conference paper.
       
   14. Eskor Toyo, "deregulation of Collective Bargaining and the Settlement of Industrial Disputes". Conference paper.
       
   15. Alkali R. A. "Labour Problems and Wages Differences". Jounal of ECPER Vol. No.
       
   16. Thomas I. P. "Labour Perspective on Globalization" IPS No. 2 (2009).
       
   17. Waddington J. (ed.). "Situating Labour Within the Globalization Debate". In Waddington J. (ed.). Globalization Patterns of Labour Resistance.
       
   18. Lindsstrom L. "Post-Fordism and the Restructuring of the State – Trade Union Relationship in East and South-East Asia". In Gavin Williams (ed.) Democracy, Labour and Politics in Africa and Asia.
       

       
        

Theoretical Conclusion: Comparison of Regulation Theory with Marxist Approach