LABOUR INSPECTION VARIABLES AS CORRELATES OF DECENT WORK AGENDA IN EXTRACTIVE AND MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES IN LAGOS AND OGUN STATES, NIGERIA
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Date
2011
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Abstract
In response to daunting global challenges of quality of work life (QWL), the
International Labour Organisation (ILO) initiated Decent Work Agenda (DWA),
(suitable and productive working environment), to protect vulnerable employees and
the working poor. Although previous studies have focused more on sweeping labour
standards violations at work, they do not examine labour inspection (LI) system as a
potent instrument for implementing DWA towards improving QWL. This study,
therefore, investigated the extent to which LI variables (LI visits, labour law
enforcement, safety monitoring, industrial relations, dispute resolution, intelligence
monitoring) influenced compliance with DWA in selected extractive and
manufacturing industries.
The Descriptive survey research design of the ex post facto type was adopted.
Proportionate stratified random sampling technique was adopted to select 1033
employees from 8 industries on the basis of minimum number of 50 employees in
each organisation (456-Extractive Industry; 557-Manufacturing Industry), in Lagos
and Ogun states given the high concentration of industries in the two states. Two
instruments: LI Questionnaire (r = 0.75) and DWA Scale (r = 0.82) were used for data
collection. These were complemented with a semi-structured Interview Guide.
Thirteen In-depth Interview (IDI) sessions were held with Labour Officers, Personnel
Officers and Union Leaders. Four research questions were raised and answered and
two hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data from the questionnaires
were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment Correlation, t-
Test and Multiple regression.IDI data were content analysed.
LI variables significantly correlated (R=.61) with DWA (F (5, 1032) = 148.03; p<0.05)
and accounted for 36% variance in the dependent measure. Components of LI
contributed to DWA as follows: LI visit ( = 0.42), labour law enforcement ( =
0.40), safety monitoring ( = 0.26), industrial relations ( = 0.21), dispute resolution
( = 0.19) and intelligence monitoring ( = 0.15). LI correlated with the components
of DWA as follows: Employment issues (r = 0.45), Promotion of rights at work (r =
0.42), Social protection issues (r = 0.33) and Social dialogue (r = 0.24). Further, the
mediatory functions of governmental and institutional factors significantly correlated
(R=.710) with the impacts of LI on DWA (F (2, 1031) = 254.53; p< 0.05). Relatively,
their effects were in the following order: Policy support ( = 0.42), Resources ( =
0.38), Political will ( = 0.06) and Institutional capacity ( = 0.03). No significant
difference was observed between extractive and manufacturing industries on decent
work agenda ( t = 0.23, df= 1031; p>0.05). The IDI result revealed poor labour
inspection performance resulting in high decent work deficits in the examined
industries.
Labour inspection, supported by governmental and institutional factors remains a
veritable tool for engendering DWA in extractive and manufacturing industries.
Therefore, government and other stakeholders should give these factors priority
attention to promote suitable working environment. Future studies could probe into
why extractive industry is not more hazardous than manufacturing industry in Nigeria
as revealed in this study.