Collective Bargaining

1. What are collective agreement? How does collective bargaining work? What are advantage and disadvantages of collective bargaining?

Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and group of employees aimed at reaching agreement that regulate working conditions such as wages scales, working hours, training , health and safety, overtime and right to participate in workplace or company affairs, The interests of employees are commonly presented by representatives of a trade union to which the employees belong.1

The trade union may negotiate with a single employer (who is typically representing company's shareholders) or group of business depending on the country, to reach an industry wide agreement. A collective agreement functions as a labor contract[->0] between an employer[->1] and one or more unions[->2].. The parties often refer to the result of the negotiation as a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) or as a collective employment agreement (CEA).

The Term "collective bargaining" was first used in the middle of 1891 by economic theorist Beatrice Webb however, collective negotiations and agreement had existed since the rise of trade unions during the 18th century.

Collective bargaining has even been recognized internationally as a basic human right and in 2007 the Canadian Supreme Court ruled that "The right to bargain collectively with an employer enhances the human dignity, liberty and autonomy of workers by giving them the opportunity to influence the establishment of workplace rules and thereby gain some control over a major aspect of their lives, namely their work. ... Collective bargaining is not simply an instrument for pursuing external ends ... rather it is intrinsically valuable as an experience in self-government.

Because the collective bargaining agreement cannot address every workplace issue that might arise in the future, unwritten customs and past practices, external law, and informal agreements are as important to...