Collective Bargaining and Industrial Relations Management Workshop

Program overview:

This workshop “Collective Bargaining and Industrial Relations Management is designed to help promote harmony in worker-employer relations as a pre-requisite for increased productivity and profitability.

For whom:

This program is designed for Human Resource Managers. Senior Union Officers and other key organizational leaders who helps in the management of Employers / Employee relationships for industrial harmony

Learning objectives:

At the end of the program, participants will be able to:

• evaluate the legal framework for labour – management relations;
• create effective strategies for addressing employees’ welfare;
• develop strategies for motivating, coaching and counseling employees/members to achieve common purpose and objectives;
• develop effective team spirit and interpersonal skills needed to turn union members to formidable teams with common purpose and interest; and
• apply effective strategies for handling grievances and conflict resolution in the organization.

Course outline:

Day 1: The Nigerian Labour Act: An Overview

• Statutes, legislations & enactments
• The rights and duties of employers and employees
  • The Psychological Contract
  • Contract of Employment
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Protection of Special Persons

Day 2: Statutes & Legislation 

• Labour Act – Cap 198
• – Trade Union Act   – Cap 437
  • Formation / Registration of Union
• – Trade Disputes Act   – Cap 432
  • Workmen’s Compensation Act – Cap 470
• – Factories Act   – Cap 126

Day 3: ILO Conventions and Recommendations 

• Trade Disputes Act
  • Definition of Trade Dispute (Sec. 37)
  • Implications of Sec. 32A
• Rights & Duties of Parties in Industrial Relations
  • Basis of Rights and Obligations
  • Employee Rights and Duties
  • Employer’s Rights and Duties
  • Controversial Areas and the Collective Bargaining Option

Day 4: Techniques of Collective Bargaining

• Collective Bargaining Process
• Bargaining structure (Determinants of Bargaining structure)
  • Market factors – Nature of Bargaining issues
  • Representational factors – Government policies
  • Power tactics
  • Bargaining level & units
  • Bargaining scope
  • Bargaining procedure
  • Bargaining Power.
• Collective Agreement and Imposition of Sanctions such as;
  • Strikes-overtime bonus- work-to-Rule-Sit-Ins-Blackings
• The Roles of Government in Industrial Relations.
• Argument in favor of Government intervention
  • Economic
  • Historical and international imperatives
  • Obligation of the state as the dominant employer
  • Political and social imperatives

Day 5: Dispute Settlement Mechanism in Industrial Relations

• Procedure and Process of agreement
• The role of National Labour Commission in industrial relations management

• The role industrial arbitration courts
• Managing redundancy and Lay off under the Nigerian Labour Law

Training Methodology

Lectures, discussions, exercises, and case studies will be used to reinforce these teaching/learning methods.