6 - Globalisation and Labour Utilisation in Nigeria: Evidence from the Construction Industry

Abstract

This study examines the influence of globalisation on labour utilisation in Nigeria using the construction industry as a case study. It reveals that the era of globalisation has given rise to profound changes in the way labour is utilised, specifically in terms of employment patterns as well as the related issues of earnings, job security, unionisation etc. In effect, the way the worker is used by the firms in the industry is determined solely by the dictates of capitalism, i.e. the profit motive. The conclusion is that the consequences of globalisation have been unfavourable to the workers in the so-called 'semi-skilled' category. Thus, neo-liberal globalisation, contrary to the often-benevolent impacts attributed to it, has worsened rather than improved the situation of workers in the construction industry in Nigeria. This then calls attention to the need for inter alia a more focused regulation of the activities of Multinational Corporations (MNCs) and the enforcement of minimum ILO standards in member countries, especially in the developing world where the need to attract the all important foreign investment may override any other consideration. RésuméL'étude examine l'impact de la mondialisation sur l'utilisation de la main-d'oeuvre au Nigeria avec comme exemple l'industrie de la construction. Elle révèle que la mondialisation a engendré de profonds changements sur la manière dont la main-d'oeuvre est utilisée, en particulier en constances de recrutement, de rémunération, de sécurité de l'emploi, de syndicalisation, etc. En effet, la façon dont le travailleur est utilisé par l'entreprise est uniquement déterminée par les principes du capitalisme, à savoir le souci du profit. La conclusion est que les conséquences de la mondialisation sont défavorables aux travailleurs, soi-disant, semi qualifiés. Ainsi, la mondialisation néolibérale, contrairement aux effets souvent bienveillants qu'on lui attribue, a détérioré la situation des travailleurs nigérians de l'industrie de la construction plutôt que de l'améliorer. C'est pourquoi il est nécessaire de porter plus d'attention à une réglementation plus ciblée des activités des Corporation multinationales et à une application des normes minimales du Bureau international du travail au sein des pays membres, particulièrement dans les pays en développement, où le besoin d'attirer les très importants investissements étrangers peut prévaloir sur toute autre considération.

The impact of globalization on Workers: an Analysis of Nigerian Public Service

“…Generally, internationally induced public-sector reforms in developing countries did not produce the expected results. This has been largely attributed to faulty premise on which the reform programmes were anchored, lack of political will by leaders of these countries, lack of transparency in the implementation of the reform programmes, failure to clearly identify and articulate domestic imperatives and response to global necessities (18). The research reveals that the main objective of globalization plan is to transforms the structure of the economy of modern capitalist relations in Africa connected to the collapse of African industries.…”

Casualization in Occupational Settings: An Investigative Study

“…There are several types of workers packages such as housing (employer-provided or employer-paid, insurance; disability income protection; retirement benefits; daycare; tuition reimbursement; sick leave; vacation; social security; profit sharing; maternity, loss of love ones, among others. The purpose of employee benefits is to increase the economic security of workers and in doing so, improve worker retention across the organization [12][13][14][15][16]. This is seen as a component of reward management.…”

“…The increased in capital mobility and the deregulation of the labour market are some of the major causes of Casualization [17,[11][12][13].…”

Trade credit and supply chain delivery in the Ghanaian construction industry

“…Financing the construction supply chain undoubtedly remains an important consideration, particularly, in developing countries (Goss, 1980;Glen and Pinto, 1994;Aniekwu, 1995;Achour et al, 1999;Eyiah and Cook, 2003;Grosskopf, 2005;Larrain and Matias, 2005). This is because today's globalized construction industry is characterized by elongated and more complex supply chains, which can involve a multi-directional flow of raw materials (Anugwom, 2007). It is evident that construction activity is highly capital intensive; investments are traditionally large and invested funds take a long time to be recouped (Edwards et al, 2004).…”