CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1
THE BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Since the beginning of recorded time, people have
travelled, and during their travels, have needed shelter. This consequently
encouraged the springing up of some accommodation in form of inns and small
hotels and subsequent larger hospitality suites, to meet such needs. This thus
hospitality is said to be the world’s second oldest profession.
Just after the civil war in 1970, there was a
virtual absence of hotels and especially, the well known names in the
international during the oil boom era, did Nigeria start experiencing some
growth in her hotel industry. In recent years however, Nigeria hosting of
several major international events like the common wealth heads of government
meeting (CHOGM), All African games, carnivals, meeting including the visits of
two American presidents and other presidents with their entourage, has led to
the building of several more hotels in Nigeria, especially in the major cities.
This growth is not restricted to Nigeria alone,
example, the American food service industry in 1979 had 110 billion dollars of
busing for meals away from home and was infact the third largest industry in
the country in terms of gross retail sales, it employs about
6 million people and had average of 125. 42 employees in 1995 and yet still
needs many additional employees every year.
Nigeria has since seen many important developments
and changes in the relative improvement in the standard of living of a vast majority
of working people. These improvements have come about as a result of many
different factors including greater national productivity, stronger growth of
economy, having more enlightened management and pressures from trade unions.
The contributions made by the hotel and catering
industry to this general rise in standard of living are considerable, providing
essential and leisure services, employment and wealth creation.
Hotel development in any country is a detailed
process, requiring a high level of pre-planning prior to, during and after
construction. There is still evidence in many places in Nigeria that this
pre-planning has not adequately been carried out, resulting in some hotels that
are unable to-changing meet and increasing today customer needs, including the
fact that demand far outstrips supply, with major cities
like Lagos having now shortages. Nevertheless,
Tourism, of which the hotel and catering industry is a principal element is
said to be a potential growth sector in Nigeria.
The conditions of
employment of a large number of the industry’s staff peace with those enjoyed
by working people elsewhere, in spite of the technical improvements
within the catering industry itself. The reasons for the slow rate of
improvement in the industry’s erable condition including an understandable
reluctance on the part of many proprietors and managers to adjust labor
earnings according to improvements in the industry. Another reason could be
that trade union movements exert little influence in most sectors of the
industry, since moreover
most people that make
up the industry‟ make a career out of the job.
The working conditions of the industry intrinsic
problems which are unavoidable such as having to work long evenings and
weekends. Other problems however can certainly be removed or reduced by
determined management action. Such problems are staff reliance on tips,
ignorance of workers on methods of calculating pay and the distribution of
service reluctance to involve staff in matters that affect their working lives.
Management should therefore evolve a way of bringing out the best in these
groups of ignored members of our workforce.
In Nigeria, there are many organizations that
provide catering services and which by their nature can be termed hotels. It is
estimated that there exists about 550 hotels, inns and commercial guest houses
in Nigeria by the year 2008 that employs between 10 and 250 people in line with
their sizes. It is said that about 418 –900 people were employed in 2003
worldwide.
In an industry in Africa where there seems to have
been a continued growth over the years, expertise is therefore expected to be
limited and this constitutes a problem.
There and other
problems are what the study wishes to consider and make recommendation where
necessary. The problem reduction in experienced hands in this industry in the
third world, seem to be the case due to managers reluctance to train its
workers and employ able hands.
Another problem lies in the fact that most workers
in the industry have no clear cut channels to register their protests and
grievances since management usually stifles unionization agitation.
The third problem concerns the issue of how the
basic payment and benefits of workers is commensurate with their dedication to
work and efforts. As employers are less responsive to changes in the economy
with respect to adjustments of pay and benefit packages in line with economic
growth as being experienced in most developing countries today, including
Nigeria, they are left with employees whose dedication to work decreases; with
huge reduction in their morals and motivation to work. We are also confronted
with an environment where employees are usually kept in the dark without being
enlightened on things they have the right to know.
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