European Journal of Business and Management www.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1905 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2839 (Online) Vol.5, No.17, 2013 52 Globalization and Trade Unions Challenges: Nigerian Manufacturing Sector Experience. GENTY, Kabiru Ishola Department of Professional Development & Continuous Education Faculty of Educational Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang Selangor Malaysia. Email: gentyaries2000@yahoo.com (Corresponding Author). ADEKALU, Samuel Olutokunbo Department of Human Resource Development, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang Selangor, Malaysia toksadekalu01@yahoo.co.uk AJEDE, Salamat Atinuke Department of Sociological Studies, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ogun State, Nigeria oloriilodo@yahoo.com OLUDEYI, Olukunle Saheed Department of Sociological Studies, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ogun State, Nigeria oludeyi@gmail.com Abstract Today, the globalization of the world market has brought about several competitions on local companies which invariably have an adverse effect on trade union density due to unfavourable macro-economic policies used for the promulgation of globalization. The movement from Social regulation to Labour Market Control, created this competition all in the name of productivity enhancement and efficiency creation. The study examines the challenges brought by globalization and all what accompany the concept while the role of Trade Unions was also measured to overcome the flexibility brought by globalization. The study uses secondary information with discourse analysis of existing literatures on the subject matter to have a position. It was revealed that globalization created more vacuums than integration among Workers of the North and South due to competition postulated by globalization. Study of this nature becomes significant to the Nigeria government to rethink and have a second thought on globalization before its continual adoption while trade union leaders have to revitalize their strategies in order to swim alone with globalization thus membership density will keep declining. Keywords: globalization, Trade Unions, Manufacturing Sector, Flexibility and Competitions Introduction According to Aluko, Akinola and Fatokun (2004) the concept of globalization, its meaning, actors, processes and implications for developing world has received considerable attention of scholars and bodies in contemporary time. This is so, because globalization has a negative effect on developing countries than the advanced capitalist nations of Western Europe and North America with particular regards to their socioeconomic progress. Nigerian corporations operate in a rapidly changing environment characterised by global and national influences (Sagagi, 2007). Today, the globalization of world markets has brought about several competitions on local companies whereas the business atmosphere in the countries (developing) are increasingly becoming unfavourable due poor macro-economic management brought by globalization and all what accompanies it. This assertion was corroborated by Standing (1997) when he said the societies has been moving from social regulation control to Labour market control with an objective of enhancing productivity efficiency and creating competition among nations. Furthermore, it leads to wage flexibility and affect the employment security as well as reduction in union membership density. Therefore, the aim of the paper is to measure the role of globalization in the Nigeria context in term of socioeconomic growth and development in relations to what obtains in other advanced countries of the North and suggest what trade unions can do to avert membership density declination with respect to globalization and its accomplices. Globalization drivers are Information and Communication technologies as well as socioeconomic policies designed by Breton wood institutions to established labour market competition through internalisations of the world economy. However, external environment like the IMF and World Bank are seen by Nigerian corporate leaders and Trade Unions as the major constraint to the development of manufacturing sectors. The tendency to associate corporate problems with global and local factors lead to serious discontent among the management and trade unions with the manner in which government restructured the economy in line with free market ideologies (Sagagi, 2007). Globalization has been tagged as an unequal process of distribution while the imbalances has led to polarisation between the developed economy that benefited from its gain and the developing nations that are losing out (Obadan, 2001; Onwuka and Eguavoen, 2007). In the case of Nigeria, globalization has contributed significantly to weaken more the inadequate domestic economic capacity needed