CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY         
Trade unions have an immense effect on labor markets and societies. The main objective of this thesis is to examine how trade unionism affects workers. The subject matter of trade unionism and workers in Nigeria is of interest to both the government and employers. Trade unionism, which is the activities of association of workers in a workplace have been accepted and recognized as a necessary action. A trade union can be simply defined as ‘an alliance of workers to strengthen their efforts in bargaining with their correspondents.’
Trade Unions are integral part of any organization. Whatever organization it may be, whether big or small, private or public, trade unions do exist to safeguard the interest of the employees working therein. A trade union also improves the living and the working conditions of the employees, Paragshir (2013). A trade union, like any other organization, emerges and grows in a definite environment. On one side the environment may either nurture or impede its growth and development trends.
On the other hand the organization might influence and shape the environment in which it carries out its functions. The dialectical relationship between an organization and its environment is therefore indispensable. The environment in this regard denotes the socio-economic, the legal and political contexts existing in the country at different times. These factors, by and large play a crucial role in influencing and shaping the behavioral patterns of trade unions. In order to attain a thorough understanding of the current trade union movement one need not negate the varying contexts in which the trade union movement originated and developed.
Prior to the coming of the colonial masters, organisations of people engaged in craft or trade have existed in Nigeria; these organisations could be referred to as trade unions because they were organised to regulate trade practices, to offer mutual aid and to fix prices –wages- for their services; such organisations included organisations of hunters, blacksmiths, carvers and weavers (Egboh, 1968; Ananaba, 1970). These organisations consisted of tradesmen and their children or other blood relatives -usually sons-, there were no employment contracts as known today as the children learned the trades and took over from their fathers (Fashoyin, 1980). The functions of these organisations some of which still existed today in the villages, included: settling of disputes, regulation of relationship between tradesmen, fixing of prices and organising the payment of tribute to the Oba – the King- (Lloyd, 1953).