Collective Bargaining is the process whereby workers organize collectively and bargain with employers regarding the workplace. In a broad sense, it is the coming together of workers to negotiate their employment. Collective bargaining allows both workers and managers to discuss specific terms that can, depending on national law:
· Determine the rules that govern their relationship
· Determine wages
· Deal with other matters of mutual interest such as hiring practices, layoffs, promotions, job functions, working conditions and hours, work safety, worker discipline and termination, and benefit programs.
Collective bargaining is a formal process that involves negotiation, consultation and the exchange of information between employers and workers, the end goal being an agreement that is mutually acceptable to all parties. It is traditionally a bipartite process, although in many countries the State plays an important role in promoting collective bargaining by establishing relevant national legislation. The agreements reached through collective bargaining are legally binding and apply to all workers, whether or not they actively participated in the bargaining process.
Steps in Implementation
1. Preparing for negotiations through collective bargaining involves assembling and consulting extensive data such as:
· Internal company data related to issues to be discussed (e.g. benefits, leave, work hours and overtime, grievance procedures, discipline, dismissals etc.)
· Labor practices employed by other companies or factories in the same industry or region
· Relevant national legislation related to the issues to be discussed
2. Establishing bargaining teams composed of four to six representatives on each side of the negotiating table, including appointed chief negotiators for management and for workers.
· Try to have all types/levels of workers/management represented as well as all the different job categories so that there will be good representation at all levels and types of jobs
· The chief negotiators should not be the highest-level of staff member in each team, as lower level management/supervisors and regular rank-an-file workers will have the most credibility to represent the interest of the groups they represent
3. Members of the bargaining teams must consult thoroughly with all groups that they represent prior to coming to the negotiation table. This consultation process is key to building trust and buy-in to the collective bargaining process. It involves:
· Explaining the steps of the negotiation process
· Learning the major issues
· Asking questions to understand and note what are the main concerns, interests and expectations regarding these issues
4. Conducting negotiations through collective bargaining:
· Open the negotiations with a first meeting devoted to establishing the bargaining authority of the representatives of each side and to determine the rules and procedures to be used during negotiations. Bargaining rights must be clearly defined for both management and for workers.
· List and prioritize issued for discussion and set up a meeting schedule
· Submit, analyze and resolve proposals put forward by each side
5. Communicating the outcome of collective bargaining:
· Collective bargaining agreements must be put in writing in language that is acceptable to all parties
· Copies of the agreement should be distributed to all supervisors, managers and workers and explained at a meeting
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