Post Civil War Labour Policy in Nigeria and its Impact on Industrial Relations: A Critical Appraisal

Sequel to the civil war that threatened the corporate existence of Nigeria in 1967, the Military government that came to power in 1966 adopted a radical change within the period 1967 to 1979 on industrial relations policy due to the spate of industrial unrest occasioned by the economic hardship caused by the civil war. The government at this period was compelled to abandon its back bench by shifting its position from non-interventionist (laissez-faire doctrine) to interventionist or what it coined as “Guided Democracy” in labour and industrial relations matters. The government’s objectives were enveloped in the “National Policy on Labour” which gave the government greater concern to participate in labour matters. The policy in a nutshell was hinged on the need for better and effective trade union administration and to promote labour/management co-operation tailored towards industrial peace and harmony in both public and private sector of the economy. The intention of this paper is geared towards examining the objectives of the policy, the methods adopted in executing it and to appraise the outcome of the government’s lofty intention in terms of whether the objectives were met or otherwise. The authors however, applauded government for enacting the policy which have paved way in solving some of the industrial relations problems facing the country. They contended that there is need for continuous review of the policy and for government to overhaul the functions of its agencies responsible for labour administration especially the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity.