Urban Real Wages and the Nigerian Trade Union Movement, 1939-60: Rejoinder

Berg's position is substantially that of agreeing that we can rule out strong market influences on urban wage behavior in Nigeria between 1939 and 1960; agreeing that the role of government policy in the wage changes which did take place was a central one; and disagreeing with the view that the trade union movement has had a critically important influence on government wage policies. Shorn of rhetorical and methodological trappings, his case is supported primarily by discussion of certain historical episodes when the government or governments of Nigeria raised the money wages (including cost of living allowances) of its employees, Berg's aim in each case being to show trade union influence as marginal, nonexistent, or even negative. He discusses in particular the wage adjustments of 1942 and 1954-55 and makes some passing references to others in the 1950's. Omitted from individual consideration by Berg are the wage adjustments of 1946, 1950, and the "follow-through" wage changes of 1955 and 1956.1