Labour Under Sap: A Study Of Industrial Relations In The University'subsector JULY,

The concem of this project is to assess the industrial relations situation in the Nigerian University subsector between 1986 (when StrilcturalAdjustmentProgramme (SAP) was introduced) and 1993. Theexercise was carried outby assessing the impact of SAP on living and working conditions and the reàction of trade unions within the sector. The research problematic was hinged on a realisation that although the Nigerian university system was never entirely crisis free, industrial crisis in the past was more orless anexception. Buttoday, theuniversity subsectoris enveloped inanunprecedented industrial crisis which has become
the norm. Considering the role of education and universities· in particular in the continuous reproduction of societal intellectual capacity and skills, it is of immense value to assess work relations in the subsector with a view to identifying how to eliminate antagonistic conflicts and attain a more harmonious industrial relations, from the point of view of the employees in the
subsector. An extensive review of existing literature was done on the origin and purpose of International Monètary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, the theoretical assumptions behilid SAP, the implementation of SAP and the social and political impacts of SAP. A theoretical framework for the study was also established by considering five early theories of trade unions and five contemporary the0ries ·of industrial relations. On basis of the literature review and theoretical framework, conclusions on
the value and meaning of the findings of the study were drawn. · A survey research method was adopted because of its capacity to study large population that cannot be directly observed. A sample size of 350 (three hundred and fifty) was selected out of an
estimated study population of about 69000 (sixty-nine thousand) employees making up the three unions in the subsector- Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU); Senior Staff Association of University and Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutions and Associate Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI); and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, (NASU).
Stratified sampling technique was employed toensure that respondents eut across the three unions. To pick the final respondents, purposive and double sampling techniques were adopted. On the whole, 249 questionnaires (representing 71% retum rate) were received from 21 universities out of about 30 universities in Nigeria. Three research instruments -questionnaire, content analysis and interview - were used to gather data. The data obtained were analysed using simple percentages, proportions, price indices, measures of central tendency, regression and correlation analysis. From the an.alysis of the data from all the research instruments used, the following findings were arrived at: Adjusting basic salaries for inflation and converting basic salaries in the national currency (the naira) to their dollar($) equivalents, living standards of all categories of employees in the university subsector degenerated under SAP.