CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Under the Labour Law, Trade Dispute, which is also called Labour Disputes originated from the interaction within an organized labour market.1 From the historical perspective the origin of trade dispute in Nigeria can be traced to the coming in of the European Missionaries which actually marked the beginning of the real wage employment as foreign currencies and investments began to be introduced into Nigeria. As a result of the establishment and growth in these investments the need for employment into the modern industrial structure arose. This necessitated the influx of men into the paid employment which became a remarkable source of income to the working class. The problem of the rising cost of living and the inadequacy of wages to keep pace with the rise in price of goods and services made collective bargaining inevitable. However, the inequality in bargaining power of an individual employee who cannot influence the amount of wages payable, or resist, if his employer demands of him an excessive number of working hours, or to force his employer to install safety devices and other protection against industrial hazards or accidents, made collective action by workers inevitable and subsequently prepared the ground and basis for the rise of modern trade unionism.2 In a bid to resolving the emerging disputes to ensure stable development in the economy, parties resorted into employing local means of resolving disputes now known as Collective bargaining.