Abstract:This paper seeks to provide a comparative analysis of the role of labour movements in democratisation during two very different political transitions in Nigeria and South Africa and in the context of globalisation and neoliberal hegemony. First, Nigeria is examined as an example of authoritarian rollback and containment of pro-democracy movements in an economy heavily conditioned by interventions from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Second, South Africa is discussed as a case of home-grown … Show more
“…In the face of these challenges, Nigeria must also reconcile global labour standards with its local socio-economic realities (Lado, 2000). The country is a signatory to various international labour conventions that set standards for fair labour practices.…”
This study provides a comprehensive examination of the evolution of industrial relations in Nigeria, tracing its historical development from the colonial era through post-independence fluctuations, military rule, structural adjustments, and contemporary global influences. It highlights the interplay between colonial legacies, nationalism, authoritarian governance, economic liberalisation, and globalisation in shaping Nigeria's labour landscape. Analysing the various eras—Colonial, Post-Independence, Military Interregnum, Structural Adjustment, Return to Democracy, and Contemporary Global Influences—the study underscores the dynamic interactions among government policies, employer strategies, labour union activities, and international forces. It delves into the challenges of political interference, corruption, legal inadequacies, global labour standards, and economic transformations. The study emphasises the importance of resilience, adaptability, and collaborative dialogue in navigating the complexities of industrial relations towards ensuring labour equity and economic progress in Nigeria's continuously evolving socio-economic.
“…In the face of these challenges, Nigeria must also reconcile global labour standards with its local socio-economic realities (Lado, 2000). The country is a signatory to various international labour conventions that set standards for fair labour practices.…”
This study provides a comprehensive examination of the evolution of industrial relations in Nigeria, tracing its historical development from the colonial era through post-independence fluctuations, military rule, structural adjustments, and contemporary global influences. It highlights the interplay between colonial legacies, nationalism, authoritarian governance, economic liberalisation, and globalisation in shaping Nigeria's labour landscape. Analysing the various eras—Colonial, Post-Independence, Military Interregnum, Structural Adjustment, Return to Democracy, and Contemporary Global Influences—the study underscores the dynamic interactions among government policies, employer strategies, labour union activities, and international forces. It delves into the challenges of political interference, corruption, legal inadequacies, global labour standards, and economic transformations. The study emphasises the importance of resilience, adaptability, and collaborative dialogue in navigating the complexities of industrial relations towards ensuring labour equity and economic progress in Nigeria's continuously evolving socio-economic.
“…In Zimbabwe, the textile, clothing, and footwear industries virtually collapsed following the adoption of the World Bank's recommendations vis-à-vis economic liberalization and structural adjustment (Carmody 1998), and the urban poor have been badly affected by the retreat of the state from welfare subsidies, resulting in sharp increases in food prices (Drakakis-Smith 1994). Similarly, neoliberalism has had negative impacts, ranging from environmental degradation to growth of political authoritarianism in Cambodia (Springer 2009), southern Mexico (Klepeis and Vance 2003), island countries in the Pacific (Murray 2000), Nigeria (Lado 2000), South Africa (Lado 2000;Peet 2002), Ghana (Logan and Mengisteab 1993), and Somalia (Samatar 1993). Geographers, however, have severely neglected the unfolding and impact of neoliberalism in India.…”
“…Although the origins of labour unionism in Nigeria have been dated to the 1940s (Lado 2000: 299), the NLC was founded only in 1978, when the four separate central labour organisations that then existed in Nigeria were unified under a single tent. It is currently composed of twenty-nine labour unions (NLC Profile 2008: 1; Aina 1990: 39), and organised around thirty-seven state councils and a number of central organs, the most important of which for our purposes is its National Executive Council (NEC) (Informant 1 2004 int.).…”
Section: The Character Of the Labour-led Movementmentioning
During 1999–2007, a labour-led but broad-based socio-economic rights movement, which focused on a pro-poor (and therefore highly popular) anti-fuel price hike message, persuaded and/or pressured Nigeria's federal legislature, the National Assembly, to: mediate between it and the Executive Branch of Government; take it seriously enough to lobby it repeatedly; re-orient its legislative processes; explicitly oppose virtually all of the Executive Branch's fuel price hikes; and reject key anti-labour provisions in a government bill. Yet the movement did not always succeed in its efforts to influence the National Assembly. This article maps, discusses, contextualises and analyses these generally remarkable developments. It also argues that while many factors combined to facilitate or militate against the movement's impact on legislative reasoning, process and action during the relevant period, this movement's ‘mass social movement’ character was the pivotal factor that afforded it the necessary leverage to exert considerable, if limited, influence on the National Assembly.
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