Abstract:
A lot of researches have been conducted to find out the causes of labour
unrest in many organisations in Ghana. However, little has been explored in the
area of Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union in Ghana. It is for this
purpose that the research was conducted to investigate the main causes of labour
unrest among members of the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union. The
descriptive survey designed was employed for the study. The multi-sampling
procedures (simple random, purposive and convenience) were used to sample 31
management staff and 48 workers/factory hands from four manufacturing
companies in the Tema Metropolis. These sampling techniques were used in order
to elicit specific information from respondents who have in-depth knowledge on
the issue under study. The questionnaire and the structured interview guide were
the instruments used in the collection of the primary data. The descriptive
statistics was used to analyse the data. The study from both management and
employees’ perspectives found that the main causes leading to labour unrest in
their organisations are wage increment, delay in negotiation of collective
bargaining agreement, unfair dismissal of worker/union official, and inflexible
working arrangement. Also, as part of the effects of labour unrest on employees
who lose income, they are also faced with strong stigmatisation. It was concluded
that, the causes take the form of lack of both tangible and intangible materials that
play critical roles on the welfare of employees. The study recommended that
management should therefore be proactive in dealing with matters related to
causing labour agitations.
