Collective Bargaining and Conflict Management: A Case Study of INEC, Abuja.

ABSTRACT

 This study examined collective bargaining and conflict management in INEC in Abuja. To achieve this, the study set out to, among other things, identify sources of conflicts between!NEC and its employees as well as to determine whether collective bargaining has helped in resolving industrial disharmony effectively in INEC. The following hypotheses were stated and tested: that there is no significant relationship between collective bargaining and conflict management. The study further employed a survey research design, and in order to collect data for the study, the instrument of the questionnaire was used. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as tables, percentages, and frequencies. From the analysis of data, it was found that industrial conflicts in !NEC do emanate from issues bordering on delayed payment of salaries and allowances, provision of security to sqfeguard the lives of workers, monetization of fringe benefits and unionism while the result of the tests of the hypothesis showed that there is no significant relationship between collective bargaining and conlict f management. Thus, it was concluded that !NEC has been applying the instrument of collective bargaining in managing industrial conflicts, but its effectiveness has been marred by the attitude both !NEC 's management and those its staff. Finally, it was recommended that JNEC 's management should re-commit itself to carrying out all agreements reached and entered into with its employees through collective bargaining as well as explore available options such as mediation or alternative dispute resolution where it is not possible for the management to achieve meaning results out of collective bargaining.