ABSTRACT

Strikes are sometimes used to pressure governments to change policies.

Occasionally, strikes destabilize the rule of a particular political party or ruler; in

such cases, strikes are often part of a broader social movement taking the form of a

campaign of civil resistance. Employee Strike: The question may be asked here

as to what specific factors provoke workers to undertake industrial action in

collective bargaining. We have seen that the right to strike is embedded into the

collective bargaining process. Where the bargaining takes place smoothly and

the parties arrive at a mutual agreement, it may then be difficult for workers

to embark on industrial action. Student Strike: A common tactic of student

protest is to go on strike (sometimes called a boycott of classes), which occurs

when students enrolled at a teaching institution such as a school, college or

university refuse to go to class. It is meant to resemble strike action by organized

labour.
INTRODUCTION

Strike action, also called labor strike, labour strike, or simply strike, is a work

stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes

place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became common during the

Industrial Revolution, when mass labor became important in factories and mines.

In most countries, strike actions were quickly made illegal,[citation needed] as

factory owners had far more power than workers. Most Western countries partially

legalized striking in the late 19th or early 20th centuries.

Strikes are sometimes used to pressure governments to change policies.

Occasionally, strikes destabilize the rule of a particular political party or ruler; in

such cases, strikes are often part of a broader social movement taking the form of a

campaign of civil resistance. Notable examples are the 1980 Gdask Shipyard or

1981 Warning Strike, led by Lech Wasa. These strikes were significant in the

long campaign of civil resistance for political change in Poland, and were an

important mobilizing effort that contributed to the fall of the Iron Curtain and the

end of communist party rule in eastern Europe.

BACKGROUND OF INFORMATION

FACTORS THAT GIVES RISE TO STRIKE IN OWERRI WEST

The only man who desires a strike for fun is the man who wants to go to hell for a

pastime

As noted above, the cardinal interest of unions is to win wage and other

concessions from the employer through collective bargaining, failing which strike

action could ensue.

The question may be asked here as to what specific factors provoke workers

to undertake industrial action in collective bargaining. We have seen that the right

to strike is embedded into the collective bargaining process. Where the

bargaining takes place smoothly and the parties arrive at a mutual agreement,

it may then be difficult for workers to embark on industrial action. This

part of the article seeks to specifically identify and explain some of the factors

which easily make recourse to industrial action possible in the collective

bargaining process. Several years ago Kahn-Freund noted that:

Everyone, except those on lunatic fringe, wants to reduce their number and

magnitude. But people do not go on strike without a grievance, real or

imaginary...Sometimes they have ample justification...sometimes they do so

wantonly. The important thing to do is to find out why strikes occur.

Expressing a similar view on the rationale for strikes Adeogun stated that

they are about grievances, actual or imagined, arising from industrial life.

However, in an unashamedly capitalist society like Nigeria, where there is

ostentatious display of wealth by the rich, where the majority of the workers eke a

living out of their wages while their employers live in absolute affluence with

the widest ostentation, it is submitted that workers grievances can hardly be

described as imagined.

Indeed, the Nigerian experience shows that the weapon of strike is often the

only instrument left in the hands of employees to compel a recalcitrant employer to

recognise and bargain with their union or representatives, to comply with the terms

of a collective agreement or to generally make improvements regarding the

terms and conditions of the employment of workers.

STUDENT STRIKE

A common tactic of student protest is to go on strike (sometimes called a boycott

of classes), which occurs when students enrolled at a teaching institution such as a

school, college or university refuse to go to class. It is meant to resemble strike

action by organized labour. The purpose of these strikes is often to put pressure on

the governing body of the university, particularly in countries where education is

free, and the government cannot afford to have a student cohort miss an entire year.

This can cause an overload of students in one academic term and the absence of an

entire class in the following term.

In the West, student strikes date to the early days of universities in the Middle

Ages, with one of the earliest and most significant being the University of Paris

strike of 1229, which lasted two years and yielded significant concessions. In more

recent times, significant walkouts occurred in the late 1960s and early 1970s: the

French May 1968 uprisings began as a series of student strikes. The largest student

strike/boycott in American history occurred in May and June 1970, in the aftermath

of the American invasion of Cambodia and the killings of student protesters at

Kent State University in Ohio. An estimated four million students at more than 450

universities, colleges and high schools participated in the Student Strike of 1970.

THE STRIKE THAT TAKE PLACE IN MY LGA OWERRI WEST

Students of the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), Imo, on Friday

destroyed properties in the institution.

The undergraduates protested an alleged increment in their tuition fee.

Although the protest started peacefully, it soon degenerated into a vandalism spree.

Properties worth millions were said to have been destroyed.

The violence was reportedly ignited by policemen who fired teargas at the

protesting students.
The students broke into the schools ICT centre and looted computers and other

electronic equipment.

Many faculty buildings were also said to have been vandalised by the students.

In the past week, students have protested in a number of universities.

Undergraduates of Federal University of Technology (FUTO), Minna staged a

violent protest over the death of a student while those in University of Osun

(UNIOSUN) protested the imposition of N10,000 as fine for late registration.

The functions of a Students Union Government which happens to be they Students

VOICE in any higher institution across the globe is to amongst other

things_(a)Ensure/Advocate for a more conducive /Better Learning environment for

all students at any point (b)Bridge the communication Gap between the School

Management and students (which is the Main Stay of the Management_Without

Students,No Management), (c)Agitate for the Welfarism of Nigerian Students.

How far has the APEX students Body acted in the face of outrageous 100% hike in

fees in Futo and Futo Alone???Do they students really have representatives? My

checks shows NO SUG IN FUTO(Students are Voiceless, Sad, Vulnerable and

easily accept all forms of increment without proper reasons from their

authorities)Below is the uncomparable fees paid in Futo BEFORE and NOW.

BEFORE. NOW

Gst 101_500. 500 with txtbks

Mths 101_Free. #1500

Eng 103_Free. #3000

Eng 101_500. #3200

Chem101_1000. #2500

Phy101_1500. #4000

Bio101_1500. #4000

ENX_ 1000. #3800

CSC201 1000. #3000

Mths203_Free. #1500

Phy207_Free. #1600

Note: For 1st semester alone, to be re registered by 2nd semester.

Medicals_1000. #3000

Deptal dues>2000. #2500_5000

Transport fee_100. #130

Hostel fee_>10,000. #12,500

Acceptance fee>25,000. #42,500

Sch fees (Yr 1)>27,000. #55,300

Geology dept (30,000). #64,100

200L to 500L_30,000. #39,000

For our information fellow students, FUTA, FUTMIN and FUTYOLA are
Fed.Universities of Technology like Futo with as low as #13,000 Acceptance Fee

and as low as #20,000 sch fees for all the levels with good motorable

roads,uninterrupted powersupply,free WI_FI,Good lecturer to student relationship

and many more.UNIUYO is a State University and pays as low as #15,000

Acceptance fee with a more conducive learning environment.Futo is a Federal

University for crying out loud!.Dont they assess funds from various

interventionist organisations like TETFUND,PTDF, NNDC,, ETF and UNESCO.

What do we do fellow students? Where are the members of the Legislature,

Judiciary,MAN OWAR,Military students, ICPC, Boys Brigade, Hall Government

Excos,NFCS, ALCOL, NIFES and all other Religious bodies on campus,Off

campus Administration (Lodge Presidents), Serving and Past Students Leaders at

all levels, Ass.of Course Reps and indeed every matriculated Nigerian student in

Futo.We MUST take our destinies into our hands now. It is our Thing NOT their

Thing. We must engage the authorities into Constructive Dialogue this time since

nobody has spoken for the betterment of Futoites since resumption (3months ago).

When Peaceful Negotiations fails, Mass Protests becomes inevitable. It is our

Right,,It is Legal,,, It is constitutional.

Less I forget, Futo with increasing population of over 50,000people(students both

Regular,Weekend, Postgraduate and teeming staff ) with host communities of

Obinze, Umuchima,Ihiagwa and Eziobodo has only commercial bank operating on

campus.Our just graduated students are not left out as each person pays mandatory

#5000(recently introduced ).,No self con is below #80,000.Prices of Goods and

Services have sky rocked. Any average student barely feeds twice daily. How then

can he/she listen/comprehend in class and pass exams, to become a world class

Engineer or problem Solver in this computer age. We call on our Parents, NANS,

NAISS, MEDIA, DSS, POLICE, VARIOUS YOUTH ORGANISATIONS,

ORGANIZED LABOUR and other good spirited individuals to help us avert this

looming Sufferings and help in building the Futo of our dreams in line with the

missions and visions of our Founding Fathers. The time to act is now or never.

WHAT COULD REALY MAKE STUDENTS EMBARK ON STRIKE

What if students could strike?

Over the years students have become much more passive. They sit at desks, and in

many cases, are expected to listen and do what they are told without question. In

some classrooms it is commonplace to question the learning taking place in

classroom. In others, question may not be allowed at all.

Students continue to have information shoved at them, and are sometimes ignored

when they want something different. Sure, there are times when that can be blamed

on accountability and mandates, which teachers cannot always control. Those rules

have been the epitome of compliance. Other times, however, it is merely due to the

way education has always been.

When we think of teacher evaluation being attached to point scales, we should not

forget that students have their entire educational success based on evaluations tied

to point scales and tests which are no more than a moment in time, and don't

accurately measure what a student will do in the future. We all suffered from the

same issue. The insanity of unfair evaluation practices and lack of voice has been

happening to students a lot longer than to teachers...and yet no strike from

students?

Now, teachers are being evaluated the same way as students and their voices are

being thwarted and it doesn't feel good. Perhaps it makes teachers think back to

when they were sitting behind the desk as a student instead of standing in front of

all of them as a teacher?

There are so many educators who want something more for their students. They

work hard. They are innovative and help foster classrooms that focus on social-

emotional, as well as, academic learning. Those teachers and school leaders have

their students engaged in collaborative learning opportunities. They are involving

students in real decision making efforts. They are expecting students to be

productive members of the educational community. These progressive educators

are operating in an educational system built on trust and responsibility and not one

of accountability and fear.

Those educators and leaders want their students to stand up, speak out, and be

heard. They want and expect more from the entire student body.

The whole concept of voice in schools centers around, not always believing you

need to get what you want, but at least having a place at the table and being

responsible for what you say. Too many students are taught about compliance and

not enough about using their voice in meaningful and productive ways. We need to

find a balance between teaching students how to be successful in school, without

losing their independence and feeling compliant in order to survive in our

educational system.

There are at least 10 reasons students should strike. They are:

1. Test Prep - Months before high stakes testing happens, students have to do test

prep after test prep. That is mind numbingly boring! And it does nothing to prepare

them for the future.

2. Testing - For at least one hour a day over a period of weeks, students have to

take ELA, math and science state exams, which never really give them any

feedback on learning. They are slapped with a score that is never really explained

to them, which is more of a state issue than a school issue. Tests are used to sort

students into groups that are supposed to provide them with help that they may or

may not need because that grouping is based on one moment in time from how

they did on a test. The Seattle teachers boycotted this last year.
3. Their perspective - What do students want to learn about? What do they have

on their minds? Their perspective is used as an excuse for why we ignore student

surveys. We simply say we don't have to listen to the surveys because they are the

students' perspective. That's exactly why we should listen! It doesn't mean we can

always meet their desire, but at least let them understand why.

4. Sit & Get - We would strike if we had to enter a classroom every morning, or

multiple classrooms each day, and wait to find out what we will learn and then be

taught the exact same way every day. It's why adults hate most professional

development but we do it to our students.

5. Lack of connection between what they are learning and their everyday lives

- Why are we learning this? This question has been probably happening for

centuries! Why can't they experience cool learning like Pixar in a Box or other

creative ideas that would maximize learning.

6. No one knows students hopes and dreams. If we are to ever connect with

students we need to know something about them. According to Quaglia and

Corso's research, only 34% of students believe teachers know what they want for

their future.

7. Lack of personal care. 45% of students don't think teachers care about them as

an individual (Quaglia & Corso). We do things for people that believe in us, that
we care about, that have high expectations for us. How can we expect students to

give 100% effort when half the students don't think we even care about them?

8. No one listens. Students have something to say and all students have something

to teach us, yet only 52% of students believe teachers are willing to learn from

them.

9. They have no voice in decision-making - We don't involve students in decision

making. We just tell them after a decision has been made and expect them to

follow without question! Do you know that when students have a voice they are 7

times more likely to be academically motivated to learn (Quaglia & Corso)?

We think the biggest reason they should strike is #10

10. Because they can! - There are more of them than us! During the 60's and 70's

we saw student protests in higher education and many changed not only what was

happening in colleges and universities but had a profound impact on society in

general, from civil rights to the Vietnam war.

The voices of students were heard because they stood up for something that was

greater than themselves. Those students had a sense of purpose. Those students had

a conviction and passion for something better. Those students made a difference.

Those students didn't always worry about being compliant, because they knew

there was more to life than that.

CONCLUSION

Nigeria continues to breach trade union rights, contrary to both its own constitution

and international standards. A few of the violations have been discussed here, but

we must add that this account is far from exhaustive, for breaches of workers and

trade union rights are mostly unreported.

The concerned authorities must provide an enabling environment for freedom of

association, in which trade unions can operate. The status quo, with union leaders

and other unionists hounded and arrested with no regard for due process, is

unacceptable. Like other liberal democracies, the government of Nigeria must

respect the rights that trade unions derive from the freedom of association78.

Indeed, it should encourage and empower unions to help with the task of economic

development.

RECOMMENDATION

But strike and strife are indeed ill winds which blow neither the employers nor

workers any good. Strikes disrupt not only the business of the employers and cause

the workers loss of wages but also invariably disorganises the economy of the state

and social order in some cases. Moreover, strike is a double edged industrial

sword; apart from its effect on the national economy, a great deal of wage earning
man hours is lost, just as the employer loses its regular income. In the process, the

state sustains loss of national revenue in the form of tax or profit.

In our view, the only way to achieve industrial peace in Nigeria is for the

employers to always promptly review, negotiate and implement collective

agreements entered with workers concerning improvements in wages and general

working conditions. The employers must accept and respect the fact that collective

bargaining is the only viable and practical means of ensuring peace in the industry.

Otherwise we will continue to exercise fears over the continuous state of a

prostrate industrial sector as workers will continue to use strike as a weapon of last

resort in collective bargaining.