The Nigerian Declaration Project and Actors’ Commitment to Industrial Peace in Nigeria

Abstract

This article examines the linkage between the Nigerian Declaration Project and the levels of commitment to industrial peace among the employers’ associations, labour unions and government agencies in Nigeria, through a systematic review of the relevant literature and four key informant interviews among the representatives of prominent stakeholders in the Nigerian industrial relations system. The study adopted the open-systems theory of industrial relations to provide a basis for an understanding of the circumstances that led to the implementation of the Nigerian Declaration Project and the extent of actors’ participation in its implementation as well as the outcomes of the Project at workplaces in Nigeria. Findings from the study revealed that the Nigerian Declaration Project has enhanced the levels of commitment to the pursuit of industrial peace in Nigeria, although efforts made by the Nigerian government to achieve a peaceful coexistence between labour and management at workplaces remain inadequate in Nigeria. The findings also revealed the harrowing experience of unfair labour practices and the escalation of industrial actions, including strikes and other industrial actions in Nigeria, despite the existence of the relatively new laws such as the Trade Disputes Act 2004, the Trade Union Amendment Act 2005, the National Industrial Court Act 2006, the Employees’ Compensation Act 2010, and the Pension Reform Act 2014. The article therefore recommends that the collective interests in the pursuit of justice at workplaces be intensified until a lasting peace is achieved for sustainable development of industrial relations practices in Nigeria.