Democratic Governance and the Future of Collective Bargaining in Nigeria

The Introduction of democratic system of government no doubt can bring about positive changes in the basic institutions of the society, i.e. social economic and political. This paper examines the historical antecedents and impact of military rule on collective bargaining in Nigeria, and the potentially beneficial effects of democratic governance for collective bargaining between the labour unions, their employers, and the government. The paper observes that the military structure of authority has had significant impact on the philosophy and practice of industrial relations in the post military era in Nigeria. How can the negative effects of the military legacy of rigid structure of power and control be minimized or dealt with in a post-military culture of democratic governance? This paper argues that the institutionalization of the universal norms or culture of democratic governance, anchored on a system of the rule of law represent the only way to bring about harmonious relationships among the actors within the Nigerian industrial relations system. But the question is why has the realization of the global best practices in industrial relations become a problematic decimal in the Nigerian case, where labour unions must resort to industrial actions such as strikes or other forms of work stoppages before their employers adopt fire brigade methods at addressing industrial relations disputes?