Trade Union Movements in Nigeria:

Their Role in Decolonization and Democratization, 1912-2022.

Abstract

The study examines the evolution, growth and development of trade union movements in colonial and postcolonial Nigeria from 1912 to present, against the backdrop of their indisputable and unforgettable role in the making and remaking of Nigeria within the study period. The study argues that the contradictions inherent in the global capitalist system, its expansionist drive and exploitative tendencies created the need for the formation of trade unions for the purpose of collective bargaining aimed at improving workers conditions of service and their protection against draconian laws during the colonial period. Thus, trade unions in Nigeria emerged in order to articulate the interest of all members and effectively pursue the realisation of same for the good of their members and the overall development of the country in the long run. It also contends that although the colonial government, their partners in the private sector and successive military administrations and even some civilian governments in Nigeria have antagonised and persecuted trade unions and their leaders due to the widely held view that they are agents of economic instability and are self-centred organisations, they have proven beyond reasonable doubt that they are partners in progress in both colonial and post-colonial Nigeria. In fact, their consequential role in the struggle for Nigeria’s independence from British colonisation and the triumph of democratic governance over arbitrary rule is unquestionably outstanding, monumental and deserving of the attention of the intellectual community.
Key Words: Trade Unions, Decolonisation, Democratisation