Collective Bargaining as a Strategy for Industrial Conflict Management in Taraba State Public Service (2007 - 2011)

The main thrust of this paper is to examine the role of collective bargaining in the management of the industrial conflicts that took place between 2007 and 2011 in Taraba state public service. The study adopted the primary and secondary sources of data. Simple descriptive analysis and percentages were used for the purpose of data analysis and chi-square was used to test hypothesis. The study revealed that collective bargaining plays active role in the management the state-w industrial conflicts management in Taraba state and its role led to the resolution of the 2009 and 2011 state-wide strikes. Recommendations were made on how to improve the role of the state government should cooperate with the chapter in order to improve the contribution of the union in conflicts resolution and management in the state, Taraba state chapter of Nigerian Labor Congress should always prepare and endeavor to mobilize, sensitize or enlighten its members on matters affecting the unions as well as to use such medium to counter most of government propaganda in order to improve their role in collective bargaining and both the state government and Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC) should embrace conflicts as their mutual problem and collective bargaining as the most acceptable way of settling any of such conflicts