STRIKES AND THE LAW IN NIGERIA

Both Labour and Management have certain interests to protect; Management expects to secure labour at the price that would allow a reasonable margin for investment. Also workers expects real wages to increase steadily, to have a reasonable standard of living and to have job security. Furthermore, Management expects the production and distribution of goods and supply of services which is planned on a calculated cost and risk not to be interrupted. Strike, then is the most potent instrument for maintaining an equilibrium against management’s desire to protect its planned property on the part of the workers. The equivalent of such weapon on the part of Management is lock-out. This inevitable conflict between labour and management has no known limits in industrial relations. Strike involves the interruption of economic process, when necessary, as a means of exerting pressure collectively by workers on their employers. A trade union would become impotent if it is without such power of refusal to work. The workers are interested in protecting their lives and that of their families against downward trend of their real wages and loss of job by using their strength collectively.