THE EFFECT OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IN RESOLVING ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT (A STUDY OF NIGERIA BOTTLING COMPANY ONITSHA)

In all economies of the world, growth and development is achieved if there is peace and harmony in the industrial sector on one hand and a stable socio-political arena on the other hand. Industrial peace and harmony can only be achieved in an environment where the actors in the field of industrial relations are individually and collectively committed to the achievement of the goal. However, this is not usually the case as organizational interests often collide with individual interests in the work place or industry. Consequently, conflicts of interest between the employers and the employees manifest as one major log in the wheel of industrial growth and development. No organization can grow in situations where strikes and lockouts are the order of the day as the production and marketing activities will be distorted thereby making it difficult for the organization to complete effectively in the market. The process of collective bargaining is about managing the level of conflicts that result from conditions of service or employment agreements in organizations in order to achieve and sustain the much needed industrial peace and harmony. The objective of this research project is to critically examine the effect of collective bargaining in resolving organizational conflict. The data for this research project is derived from primary sources. Primary data collection involved the use of both questionnaire and interview methods to elicit information from respondents. Data collected were presented and analyzed using appropriate statistical tools which enabled the testing of the research hypothesis. It is the findings of this research project that employee participation in the determination of his conditions of service reduces his tendency to confront his employers in matters relating to remuneration and other conditions of employment. The project also established that employee participation in decision making reduces industrial conflict. Finally, the research recommends that the principles of collective bargaining should be embraced and encouraged by both employers and employees as a means of achieving and sustaining industrial peace and harmony.