Trade Unions as Organisations: Key Issues and Problems of Internal Democracy in Nigeria

Abstract

The paper critically examines and evaluates inter alia Trade Unions as
Organisations and the key issues and problems of Internal Democracy
within them. It transcends this analysis to assert that these core issues apply
equally well to Political Organisations. Thus, from an ideological standpoint,
Trade Unions play a great role in representing members’ interests in
regulating labour market and Managerial Relations with employees.
Similarly, it is the opinion of this article that theoretically speaking and to
some extent, Trade Unions adopt democratic constitutions by giving their
members ultimate control over certain policy decisions and the organisation
of their own union activities. Achieving internal democracy within Trade
Unions requires more than just member activism, and ipso facto, the paper
contends that a democratic union must have a mix grill of three basic
features – a (i)democratic constitution,(ii) institutional opposition and(iii) an
active membership. Trade Union Organisations and by extension, political
organisations, must build their governance around these democratic
principles ad nauseam.