MANAGEMENT OF EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCES
(A CASE STUDY OF SELECTED GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHMENT IN ENUGU STATE
ABSTRACT
This research project intends to explore the management of employee grievances (A case study of selected government establishment in Enugu state). I deemed it necessary since this research topic is unique to management of employee grievances, a handling of grievances in the management of employee in a selected government establishment in Enugu State, a practical research was carried out on Nigeria Railway Corporation which was used to generalize the project objectives. This research work cannot be said to be exhaustive due to the management of employee grievance which the management is trying to see a way it can be reduced in the establishment for a better tomorrow.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
1.0        Introduction                                                                
1.1    background of the study                                               
1.2        Statement of the problem                                     
1.3        Purpose of the study                                            
1.4        Significance of the study                                               
1.5        Limitations of the study                                                
1.6        Definition of terms                                                     
CHAPTER TWO
2.0        Review of related literature                   
2.1    definition and nature of complaint and grievance
2.2        Need for grievance                                              
2.3        Grievance handling in unionized organization            
2.4        Grievance handling in non unionization organization
2.5        Use of grievance form and grievance interview in handling grievances.                                        
2.6        Grievance arbitration                                   
2.7        Need for justice in grievance handling            
2.8        Supervisory role in grievance handling            
2.9        Principle/roles of grievances handling             
CHAPTER THREE
3.0        Research design and methodology                 
3.1    Research Design                                          
3.2        Area of study                                                      
3.3        Population and sample procedure                   
3.4        Sample and procedure                                 
3.5        Instrument for data collection                                
3.6        Validation of the instrument                          
3.7        Method of data collection                                      
3.8        method of data analysis                                      
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0        Data presentation and analysis                              
CHAPTER FIVE
5.0        Summary conclusion and recommendation      
5.1    summary of the study                          
5.2        Recommendation                                        
5.3         Conclusion                                         
Bibliography                                                       
Appendix                                                            
 CHAPTER ONE
1.0              INTRODUCTION
1.1   BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
There are three basic things to manage in life and they are human resource, non human resources and time. Organization effectiveness is being defined as the extent to which an organization as a social system give certain resources and means, fulfills its objectives without placing undue straight (grievance) upon its members. The most important element of an organization is its employee. This is because, machine cannot operate themselves without human assistance, hence for human being to perform efficiently, he must have the spirit to perform, this means he must be satisfied. An unsatisfied worker has grievance
        The issue of employee grievance is as old as industrial societies, but in recent time the question of management of employee grievance in Nigeria and Enugu state in particular has reached learning proportion. It is a versed issue that been eaten deep into the fabrics of every well organized industrial establishment the problem has also becomes the order of the day in private and public establishment. Generally, the researcher is of the believe that the employee grievance in any establishment, establishes the fact that the employees of the organization are not happy with the scheme of things in the organization.
        An aggrieved employee who feels he has a grievance against manager a supervisor is against the company as a whole is an unhappy employee and unhappy employee cannot do effective work. He becomes depressed, his morale is low and as a result his efficiency drops. Satisfaction at work in terms of all circumstances that surround the job is key to high morals. It does not matter how well paid and interesting a job may be, unless the individual performing the job feels that he is being fairly treated his morals will be adversely affected.
        When workers go on strike, we realized the importance of human element. This is because under such conditions everything comes to a halt. Was not until  the how throne’s experience was discovered. The fact that there are grievances in the organization is not an easy thing to detect, because many grievances go unexpressed and unexposed for a long period of time and require only a competent anger to handle before it turns to a critical situation.
        Human assets are more valuable than physical assets and should be carried on the organizations balance sheet. After all each productive employee represents and training add to this the cost it would take to find, hire and train someone else to do the same job and you can begin to see the significance of human resources management in periods of economic recessions a firm would be wiser to reduce inventory drastically and sell machinery than to dispose on their most important assets “the employee”. Staff, therefore is to create and maintain a high level of morale which will induce full co-operation from his staff to obtain maximum operation and efficiency through out the units of the organization for high morale is a direct result of job satisfaction which reduces grievances and increase job performance and continuity.
        The existence of grievances in organization is inevitable because for an organization to have grievances free relationship means that they will have no relationship at all improper handling of grievance leads to disruption of work in the form of go Show work to rule, demonstration, violence, strike and resignation which ultimately amount to labour turnover with its effect on the organization. Therefore an organization wishing meaningful productivity and improved labour management relationship must design a just and equitable grievance handling system.
        Ohiri A.U (2002:100) asserts that employee grievance in organizational or industrial relation context as a state of dissatisfaction or discontent on the part of either labour or management. He also said that grievance is negative feeling which commonly finds expression in various forms ranging from complaint to strike action or destructive reactions. He also pointed the following causes of grievance which are
1.           Non-payment or delay of employees entitlement
2.           Unfair-treatment by management
3.           Poor welfare
4.           Branch of terms of contract by management
5.           Management’s in sensitivity to the problems of labour
6.           Denial of information etc
In order to have efficient grievance handling which will ensure an “in built mechanism” for absorbing resolving and eliminating grievance in the form of destructive differences in an organization he (A.U. Ohiri) gave the following rules for handling of employee grievances which `are:-
1.           Determination on both parties to stop it in their mutual interest.
2.           Sincerity and empathy
3.           Spirit to forgive and take compromise during its resolution.
4.           Preparedness on the part of the affected parties to admit faults and make amends.
5.           Use of third party mutually agreed upon by the parties.
6.           Adoption of conventional and statutory approaches
7.           Preparedness on the part of both parties to accept statutory and impartial resolutions advanced by the mediator.
This project will go to the root in examine the various methods in handling grievance as an inevitable sign of a healthy relationship of organizational members. This will enable them to develop the necessary constructively. Considering the desirable effect of a healthy human relation on desirable effect of healthy human relations on productivity in any organization, a study and careful labour turnover of the effect of grievance handling and labour turnover becomes necessary by the researcher for the purpose of isolating their individual or respective contributions to divindling productivity.
1.2    STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Grievance in the organization if not resolved of properly handled creates ineffective workers and consequently undermine efficiency which would result into high labour or employee turnover. The researcher has observed that in Nigeria, improper or unsatisfactory handling of grievances in many organizations including the selected firms I used as my case study has caused high labour or employee turnover, repeated training of new staff, strike and down tool, poor human relation and in effective communication of objectives.
Assumptions are made  that all organization irrespective of their locations and other environmental factors have the same characteristics.
In the light of the above, the researcher has presented the following research questions.
a.           To what extent has the ways grievances are handled affected  labour or employee turnover?
b.           What are the grievances that can be associate with labour turnover in organization?
1.3    PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
1.           The purpose of this study is to investigate the various methods organizations employ in handling and resolving staff grievances and the effectiveness of such matters. The study shall relate the methods of grievance handling to the rate of labour turnover.
2.           To determine the various type of employee grievance that exists in organizations in the category of the management staff, senior staff and junior staff.
1.4    RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1.     Do improper handling of grievance cause labour turnover.
2.     Do effect of fair handling of grievance affect employees moral.
3.     If offered alternative employment will you resign your present job on the ground of unfair handling grievance of employee?
1.5    HYPOTHESIS FORMULATION
Hypothesis I
H0:    Improper handing grievance causes labour turnover
H1:    Improper handing grievance does not causes labour turnover
Hypothesis II
H0:    Effect of fair handling of grievances affect employees moral.
Hii:     Effect of fair handling of grievances affect employees moral.
Hypothesis III
H0:    If offered alternative employment I will resign my resent job on the ground of unfair handling of my grievances.
1.6    SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The importance of this study is in many folds, this study will reveal to management of organizations the various methods of handling grievances in a manufacturing outfit and the effect of such methods on labour turnover. This study will also reveal to management organizations the types of employee grievances. The fact that some grievances in the organization do not arise out of frustration which in turn is a result of an amalgamation of factors which can only be isolated by patient and skillful management, this study will be used to leads of departments of human resource of various organizations in handling grievances that arises is their organizations and in checking labour turnover as a result of such grievances.
Finally recommendations made from the study would lead to a better handling of grievances when they occur in the organization, which would therefore reduce labour turnover.
1.6    DEFINITIONS OF TERMS
1.           Management in this context means the top managers and decision-makers in an organization.
2.           Grievances:- Is any discontent or sense of injustice expressed or not felt by an employee in connection with his employment in an organization.
3.           Bargaining Agreement:- A record of all binding conclusion and agreement reached between management and employees especially through negotiation.
4.           Contract:- A legally enforcement agreement between one or more parties which include exchanges of commitments.
5.           Productivity: - Rate of output per man-hour of work volume of output in relation to input.
6.           Employee:- Any person who enters into a contract of employment to offer his labour.
7.           Labour turnover:- Is the term given to the measurement of employees leaving a company and  their replacement.